Upside Down
by Aerois
Summary: She was annoying, she was a second-rate farmer, and most importantly, she was his rival. He decided he didn't want anything to do with her, and expected things to stay that way. But of course, Tina always found a way to ruin his plans. Why? Why did she have to take everything sensible in his life and turn it upside down? (Jamie centric, mild language)
1. What's in a Name

Welcome to the re-write of The Process of Change! This will be a multi-chapter fic that follows the relationship of Jamie and Tina, as you can probably tell by now. Without further ado, here is the first chapter.

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Chapter One- What's In a Name?

Spring 5th-

Another beautiful Spring Day began in the small town of Flower Bud. Villagers began to awaken, eat their breakfasts, and prepare for another day of work. Most of such people started the day off happy and eager to get cracking- everyone, of course, except Jamie. For Jamie, this was not going to be a good day.

It had become common knowledge in the small village that Tina, the newest local farmer, had recently moved in. Word traveled fast in a town as small as Flower Bud, especially seeing as most of the residents were on friendly terms with one another.

Anyone in Flower Bud could see that Tina was a bubbly, social, and innocent girl. She gave a helping hand and an open ear to anyone who was in need of it, even though she was so new to the area. Who wouldn't love someone so endearing?

Jamie, that's who. She was the epitome of everything he detested in a person- kindness, happiness, generosity. Seeing her running around all day, talking to people, helping people- all with that _revolting_ smile on her face- it was like some kind of nightmare. Unfortunately for him, there was no waking up.

So maybe it's a lucky thing, Jamie muses, that most people aren't like her. They are conniving, selfish, and care more for themselves than they do for others, no matter what they say.

And that was exactly why he kept to himself. A person can be backstabbing and dishonest, or so nice that it defies understanding.

Why was it that some people in this world worried after each other so much? What could be the point? Someone like Jamie, who considered himself perfect, never needed others' assistance.

Nor did he want it; usually things got messed up, or nothing ended up being done at all. So why have friends, really? He was always content with solitude. It made things easier that way. True- friendship and romance must be nice. Why else would so many yearn for it if not?

But that wasn't something he was after. Things like that only got in the way of his plans. As far as companionship went, his animals provided all the company he needed, and he rewarded that with giving them the best care possible.

He told her things like this.

He told her he was fine on his own; that he enjoyed his life the way it was.

But it was as though it never reached her ears.

Yesterday, she stayed away from his land as he requested when they met the day before. But of course, finding a loophole, she approached him while he was at the river fishing.

"Didn't you tell me yesterday that you understood that I didn't want friends?" he asked with unmasked contempt. Her head snapped up abruptly, her lips forming a small 'o'. Jamie reveled in her surprised expression. Getting a response like that meant he must've hurt her feelings, which of course, was his intention.

His thrill of victory however, was short lived. Her face melted into another one of those nauseating smiles, and she laughed.

"Well, yeah... But I never said I wasn't going to try and be friends!"

In the recesses of his mind, a giant rock landed on his mental self, crushing him._ 'I obviously need to be more direct when telling her things,'_ he thought exasperatedly.

With a heavy sigh, he turned to face what was apparently the bane of his existence. "Well, I'm not being your friend. Not EVER! I thought I made that clear when we met."

Tina began to look thoughtful, as though she were carefully choosing her words._ 'That's a shock,'_ Jamie snorted to himself inwardly. "…No," she replied, after what seemed like forever.

_'That's it? It took her **that** long to think** that** up? Oh my gosh, she really** is** an idiot!'_

"What? What do you mean 'no'?" He asked through gritted teeth.

At this, she tilted her head from the ground to look directly at him, her eyes burning with determination. "I... I will not give up! Even if we're rivals, we can still be friends, I know it!"

Jamie's subconscious self was then crushed by yet another rock. It wasn't because they were rivals that he didn't want her company, it was because he_ hated_ her! Why couldn't she get that through her thick skull?

_'Stupid pigtails probably cut off the blood circulation in her head,'_ he thought to himself.

Not choosing to dignify such idiocy with an answer, he rolled his eyes and turned back to his fishing. With a rare frown, she turned away, and Jamie had let himself think she had finally gotten the point.

Which, as it turns out, was another mistake.

The very next day, she was there again, leaning over his purple fence near the cave. And once again, she was waving hello with that smile of hers. The wind blew her hair and her clothes around, sending a sweet, flowery scent towards him. She looked so innocent like that, grinning without a care in the world. Grinning at him. It was actually pretty cute…

_'Woah, Woah, Woah! WHAT? 'cute'? What in the world is wrong with me? She doesn't look cute, she just looks stupid! The word 'cute; only comes to mind because that's what everyone keeps saying she is. Obviously, I've associated the word with her only because of that. That's all it is. It's not like I actually do think she's cute; she's just my rival. My stupid, annoying, weak rival! …WHY AM I STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS?'_

Shaking off the undesirable thoughts, he leveled the pink- vested girl with one of his best glares. "What is it today? Hurry up and go."

Either she had nerves of steel, or she was incredibly stupid. Probably the latter. She flashed her trademark smile of hers without missing a beat.

"Teehee! Silly Jamie! I have a special present, just for you!"

He raised his eyebrow. "Why would you ever think I would want a gift from YOU?"

"Teehee!" She giggled, yet again. "Because, this is definitely Jamie's favorite thing in the world!"

"Over here, over here, Jamie!" she called happily.

He sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Maybe if he just got it over with and did what she asked, she'd be happy and leave. "Okay, but only if you'll leave right after," he huffed.

She gave a pout-_ 'She's not cute, she's not cute,'_ he thought to himself, adopting it almost as a mantra in his mind. "Humph! Jamie, you can be so mean! Now, close your eyes and hold out your hands..."

Grudgingly, he acquised._ 'What could it be? And how would she know what my favorite thing is?'_ he wondered, his insatiable curiosity getting the best of him.

No sooner did he finish his thoughts did he feel a cool, heavy weight settle into his opened palms. It was smooth, and felt like… it felt so familiar. What was this, again?

"Heehee! Open your eyes, Jamie!" came the unmistakable voice. Without even having his eyes open yet, he just knew she was still smiling. Finally, he cracked the lids of his eyes open, and sunlight flooded his vision. What he saw there, sitting in his hands, gave him quite a start.

Out of all the things in the world, it just had to be a jar of VeryBerry Jam- one of his favorites.

"H...H-how did you know I...?" he asked blushing, unable to hide his surprise. Strange how no matter how annoying Tina could be to him, she had the ability to shock him so easily.

"Hahaha! Because..." she said, leaning in close to his face, "You can't spell 'Jamie' without 'Jam'! Aren't I clever?"

It was an interesting approach, to say the least. Jamie himself had never even thought of it in such a way. She gave an innocent stare. "Well... You like it, right?" she asked.

Try as he may not to, Jamie couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Certainly nowhere near the kind of smile Tina gave, but a smile nonetheless. But it wouldn't do any good to let the girl get a big head over something like this, even if it was something he was so fond of. Who knew what she'd do next. Maybe send him mail constantly with kittens and rainbows all over it or even worse- show up at his doorstep one day!

"I'm not particularly happy," he smirked, still incapable of keeping a straight face._ 'Well, it's not like she'd be able to tell if I was lying anyway,'_ he thought. Jamie, for once, was grateful that Tina could be so dense.

Anyways, what harm could there be in taking a gift every now and then? She would probably never expect anything in return. Maybe being harassed by this girl could get him something good in the end.

"I'm so happy you like it! I'll bring more soon, okay? Bye-bye Jamie, see you tomorrow!" she called as she turned away, almost eager to leave. Tina, it seemed, was turning out to be quite unpredictable, which could be either very good or very bad for him. Ever paranoid, Jamie immediately questioned her sudden leave, chalking it up to some master plot of who knows what kind of proportions.

"Oh?" He questioned, "You're not staying?"

She stopped. "Silly Jamie," she giggled, "You told me to leave after I gave you the present!"

"Y-yeah, that's right! I was testing you, and you passed. You might not be quite as stupid as I thought!" he said quickly, desperately trying to salvage his image. Perhaps her naïve nature was just a front to lull people into a false sense of security for some unseen reason? He'd have to be more careful when dealing with this girl from now on.

"Riiiight," she teased, catching on to his fluke. "Well, I'll come back tomorrow!"

"Don't bother; I said I didn't like you, and you will never change that! I mean it! I don't need friends; especially you, do you hear me? YOU'RE A NUISANCE!" he yelled, all but screaming the last part.

Calvervtutrp chose this moment to finally make an appearance, giving his owner a skeptical look._ 'What was that about not being friends with her?'_ His eyes seemed to ask.

"Aw, shut up! She gave me a gift; that doesn't mean I like her!"

At that moment, Jamie could've sworn the dog rolled his eyes, and he dashed off to bark at a mole in the distance.

The dog did have a point, or so it seemed to. She _did_ give his favorite gift, and she _did_ amuse him in her own special way, but that didn't mean in any way, shape, or form that she was tolerable.

He had no intentions on changing his mind about that. All humans were trouble, sooner or later. Tina was a prime example of it.

And besides, if he could go this long without people, he could go much longer.

Why would he need her, anyway? Her confidence was at the point of flat out arrogance, which was another one of the many things Jamie detested.

_'Does she think she's perfect or something?'_ He scoffed._ 'Ha! I'm the only perfect person here! That little brat, I'll show her who she's dealing with!'_ In a moment of pure aggression, he stuffed the jar of jam into his backpack and stomped back into his house, not caring how loud it was or who saw him.

Oh yes, he would show her. The next time he got a chance, she'd see!

But when would an opportunity like that present itself? It had to be more unique than a simple days' work of tallying who earned the most money. Hmmm...

The Egg Festival! Of course! Why didn't he think of it sooner? Did she have a chicken? And the Horse Race too, but no... She wouldn't even have 2000g by then.

_'Dang! Am I gonna have to wait till Summer to show her who's boss?'_ he ranted internally.

Being a perfectionist, and a competitive one at that, he was furious at the thought of having to wait so long for a chance to win against this pig-tailed menace.

And more importantly, didn't Tina mention saving the Goddess numerous times?

_'No way! She couldn't POSSIBLY do that on her own! Ugh, is she trying to take everything from me? I'll bet even her kindness is an act! No one's that nice, especially not to me,'_ he began rambling within his mind. _'Yeah, that's gotta be it. She is really freaking me out, that Tina. I bet she stalked me to find out that I liked Jam so much! Probably spied in my window and saw me eating it yesterday. Oh man, what is **up** with her! More importantly, what's up with me? I can understand accepting the gift; that's the polite thing to do, but did I stutter or not? I need a vacation and I've only known her 2 days...Great, I'll be dead by Summer!'_

Finally getting his thoughts in order, and determined to not let the weird girl's antics get to him, he left and went to water his crops, another thing she had held him up in doing that day, along with caring for his animals.

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In Flower Bud's small, sterile clinic, Tina sat chatting it up with the town's doctor, her newest friend. Alex was an intelligent, sensitive young man, who was very dedicated to helping his patients in any way possible. The clinic he ran did look very homey, and it didn't have much, but it was his and he was proud of it. He also hoped that, someday, he could expand it and provide even better care for the townspeople.

Tina strolled through the door, waving hello as Alex was finishing up some paperwork.

"Hello, Doctor Alex! Ooh, guess what? I figured out Jamie's most favorite thing! I didn't even need the clue you were gonna give me," she declared proudly.

Alex smiled. Tina was such a kind, energetic girl. He really enjoyed it when she came in to visit, and she even brought herbs with her sometimes. It was a huge help for making medicines, and Tina had a knack for finding them. "Of course you didn't! See, a bright young girl like you doesn't need a clue. So, you figured it out, did you?" he asked.

She nodded her head, her pigtails bouncing up and down. "I sure did! It was actually pretty easy."

Alex chuckled. "Go ahead, shoot."

"What is the one word you can't spell 'Jamie' without?" she asked with a toothy grin.

"Oh," he chuckled, "You got it! And what _is_ his favorite thing, hm?"

"Jam!" She beamed.

"Hahaha, that's right," he smiled. "So then, I take it he appreciated your kind gesture?"

"Oh yes! I think I even saw him blush a little, too! I didn't know Jamie ever got flustered. I guess he's just like that?" she asked.

"Maybe," he offered. "Or maybe, you just have that effect on him. Perhaps you could even completely change him? You sure do get to him in a way no one else ever has that I've known of."

"You think so?" She gaped, open curiosity written all over her face. "I really would like to be his friend. He seems a little lonely," she reflected.

"Well who knows? He may open up to you someday," Alex assured her. And he really did think it was possible. Jamie and Tina were such opposites, it was only logical that they would have some kind of effect on one another. The doctor was a positive man, something that he felt was good for his profession, and so he preferred to think things would work out for the best.

"Hm... I would really like that," she said thoughtfully.

_'And maybe someday, we can save the Goddess together,'_ she whispered to herself.

And really, who knew what the future held? It was quite possible that they could, indeed.

END OF CHAPTER ONE.

I'm actually pretty happy with this rewrite. It's past midnight, but I really wanted to get something out each weekend. Senior Project made it impossible last weekend, but I had enough time this weekend. I have a Statistics exam, but that'll be done by Wednesday. I'm graduating THIS WEEK! I can't believe High School's almost over. Wish me luck in college. Really hope you like it! I feel like I could do better, so any kind of feedback is welcome! Expect the next chapter next week.

'Till then,

Aerois


	2. Food Fight Frenzy

Sweet Heart of Jesus, this update sure took long! Okay, if you're willing to read, I'll explain. About a month ago, I was about 60% done re-writing this chapter, and I was mostly satisfied with how it was coming along. Then, the computer's hard drive breaks, which meant we had to get a new one, which meant that I lost ALL my files, including the re-write. And then the air conditioner in the car broke, and we spent almost a week driving around the state trying to get it fixed.

Then, my cat ran away (he came back, thank God), then it was Father's day, so my weekend was taken up, and THEN my cousin got married, so we were busy for a few days shopping and stuff. FINALLY, the air conditioner in the house starts to screw up, and it would've been hard to concentrate on writing with it so hot. Suffice to say, it's fixed.

HUFF! Right now it's eleven at night, but I finally told myself that I might as well get cracking or I'll end up never finishing this. I should warn you, I'll be condensing most of the filler in this chapter because no one likes 3,000 words that have nothing to do with the real story. I can't believe I wrote it out like that in the first place... (P.S.- If I sound pompous, pay no mind to it. My most recent addiction is Severitus, and I think Snape's mannerisms are rubbing off on me.)

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It was Spring 6th, 2 days till the Egg Festival.

The Hank Ranch group, along with Carl and Gourmet, stood in the upper left corner of the town square, the sound of their conversation a low, rumbling mumble in the quiet morning air. Gourmet's expression was an almost sickening sight as his panicked expression melted into his rather obese face into a frightening blend. Carl, ever seeking to please, was trying his best to comfort the large man.

"Goodness, goodness, what will we do if we don't have enough eggs?" cried Gourmet, pacing back and forth.

The shorter man was bouncing on the balls of his heels, trying to get across to the stubbourn gourmand. "Now now Gourmet, I'm sure we can all pull through if we work hard together." This seemed to do nothing for Gourmet, and the man continued his pacing. _'Sooner or later, he's going to wear tracks into the stones...'_

Blue crossed his arms and nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "That's right. Plus, Jamie always ships lots of eggs, so everything should go as planned."

Ellen turned to her cousin and smiled cheerfully. "Blue's right, Gourmet. We'll be okay!"

"But still," Bob said with a frown, "it'll be hard, and even if we give it our all we may not succeed."

Hank stepped forward, giving them all a stern glare. "Now, now, we ain't havn' none a' that. Listen up y'all, this here's the plan. We gon' gather all the eggs we can possibly git, even the one's ya got in yer fridges, y'hear? In a minute, we're gonna go all over town an' tell everyone about the plan, and we'll see who can help. An' make sure that everybody brings cookin' utensils, aprons, milk, butter, and whatever else they'll need to cook with! Have everyone bring it all to the square and Bob an' I'll sort it out. Sound good?"

Ellen, Bob, and Carl all smiled and nodded. Blue shrugged, "Fine by me, it's the only idea we've got anyways..." Gourmet heaved a sigh of relief, but was quickly back to pacing when he started to think of everything that could go wrong.

Carl frowned, and began yet another attempt at comforting his friend.

"All righty, then!" Hank beamed. "Let's get to it."

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Jamie leaned on his doorway, arms crossed defiantly and stared down the other farmer at his door, despite the fact that Blue was much taller than him.

"I wouldn't even need your help getting the eggs anyway," he sneered. "You seem to forget that if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had the Egg Festival last year. So really, there's no use trying to get the rest of the town to help." He scrunched his face up into his signature smirk. "And yes, I have cooking utensils, you brainless cretin. I have to eat of course, and I don't eat just anything, unlike that pig-tailed pseudo farmer down the road. My culinary skills are phenomenal. What else did you expect from someone as perfect as me?"

Blue just frowned, told him what to do, and left.

Tina, though, was the complete opposite. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I haven't been here long enough to afford a chicken coop just yet, but I do have cooking utensils and some eggs in the fridge." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm good at making sweets, but not much else."

Blue, glad to find that town's other farmer was much more agreeable (_'And cute,'_ said a voice in his head), gave her an almost friendly smirk of his own. "That's alright, Tina. Actually, it's a big help. Would you come to the festival? We would love for you to be there."

Tina beamed, immediately brightened at the prospect of being able to help her new neighboors after all. "Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Later that day, Tina headed to the mountains to look for honey. It was sweet, great for helping her keep her energy up, and would be the perfect ingredient in her dish for the egg festival. Strolling to the grove of trees in the mountain that usually yielded the sticky ambroisa, she was greeted by a dilemma. On the other side of the band of the trees stood her rival, eyeing the same comb of honey she was.

_'Oh no, is Jamie gonna take that?'_ she wondered, already debating on what to do. For a moment, she thought about letting him have it, but quickly retracted her thoughts._ 'No, he can't! I need it for the festival! Oh wait, what if Jamie's helping too? Either way, if I take it, he'll probably get mad, huh? Aw man, how do I get outta this?'_ Jamie stood his ground, staring back with an unreadable expression.

"Uhmm...Jamie," she began nervouly, trying to give a friendly smile, "If you want...you can take it. I don't mind."

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly, before he drew his arms up and crossed them, glaring her down with the same nasty smirk he gave Blue earlier.

"Hah! You can take it, Pigtails. You probably need it way more than me, because you're so pathetic."

Tina smiled obliviously. "Thanks Jamie! Gosh, I ...Hey wait a minute!" she screeched, suddenly realizing the insult.

"Hahahaha! You're so dumb it's almost funny. See ya later, loser!" he snarled, roughly pushing past her down the mountain path.

Tina stood alone on the worn, dirt path and pouted. 'Oh, why is Jamie so mean? I swear, no matter what I do, it's like he'll never-' She suddenly shook her head roughly, smacking the sides of her head. _'No way, no way, gotta stop thinking like that! This is exactly the kind of reaction he **wants** from me. If he thinks he can scare me off, he's got another thing coming!'_

Feeling confident in her renewed hope, she grabbed the honey and went in search of more, humming a tune to herself as she walked.

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The small bell above the door of Michael's tool shop gave a small tinkle as Carl strolled inside.

"Oh, so you need utensils and stuff? Well, come in! We've got tons of things like that you'd find useful," Ann said cheerfully.

"Thanks for the cooperation, it means a lot. By the way, we'll also need cooked dishes. Ann, can you cook well?" he inquired, as he picked out a few whisks and knives.

At that question, Ann froze. The tomboy was absoloutely horrible at cooking. Slowly, she turned back to Carl, her mind in overdrive on solving the current problem.

_'He may really need help, though. I'm sure I can do it this time if I try extra hard! Oh please, Mama, watch over me and help me not to blow anything up this time!'_ She forced a smile, hoping her lie would be convincing, and breezily replied, "Are you kidding me dude? I'm a totally awesome cook! I'll be sure to help!"

Carl of course, took the bait. "Great," he grinned as he handed her the money for the items he bought. "Well, I'll see you there!" Ann waved as he left the shop. "Bye! Have a good day!"

The door swung shut with a soft woosh, and Ann instantly began to panic._ 'Oh gosh, what am I gonna do?'_ she cried in her head._ 'Why did I tell him that? I can't cook! Oh, I'm gonna end up blowing something up for sure! Oh man, guess there's only one thing I **can** do...'_

She turned to her father, who was currently at the kitchen table working with some sort of paperwork._ 'I can't believe I'm doing this,'_ she shuddered. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Daddy? Um... Can you teach me how to cook?"

Michael gasped, the paperwork forgotten as he snapped his head up and his pen clattered to the floor. Did his daughter just ask him to be taught how to cook properly? Ann, his tomboy daughter who was terrible at cooking, and was never interested in anything feminine a day in her life? He was overjoyed, to say the least. He had always hoped that someday his daughter would act more lady-like. For a long time, he was afraid that the death of her mother at such a young age had ruined any chance of her knowing how to behave like a girl, despite his best efforts to raise her as such. Not that he didn't love his daughter as she was, but sometimes he worried that she had none of the wonderful qualities his wife had.

"Why of course!" he smiled. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. I'm so happy that you've finally taken an interest in cooking, Ann!"

She looked around, and then to the floor, trying her hardest to avoid her father's proud grin. What would her father think if he knew she was only trying to cover up a lie, even one told to help someone? Her poor father probably thought she wanted to be more girly or something. "Uh...Yeah. M-me too," she gulped.

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The sound of sizzling bacon and sausages could be heard on a frying pan as Kurt stood in his kitchen, occasionally turning the food over. "Grr...Hey, Woody, can you wake up Little Brother? We gotta go get those eggs today, remember?" he called.

Though he did a good job of not letting it show, Kurt was in a bad mood. It was bad enough to not be a morning person to begin with, but the fact that whatever he cooked had to have little to no dairy or eggs in it made preparing breakfast all the more difficult, agitating him even further.

"Wha-? Oh yeah, sure. JOE!" Woody barked, "Get your lazy behind outta bed and get dressed!"

Joe groggily sat up on his sleeping mat, yawned, and stretched. "Hn? What's that weird smell?" he mumbled. "Woody, are you trying to barbeque on the stove again?"

Woody looked up from his drawer. "No, I'm over here! Your big brother is just trying to make breakfast."

Joe perked up quickly and jumped out of bed. "Oh yeah! What's he makin'?" he asked exitedly. His older brother was a great cook, and due to their low income, most of what they ate were instant noodles and other cheap food. Having a cooked meal was a rarity in their household.

"How should I know?" the old man grumbled. "Go see for yourself."

Joe all but ran downstairs to find the table loaded with sausages, fuit salad, orange juice and bacon. Something about it seemed... off. Like something was missing. Sure most of it was good- especially the bacon- but what was it that was lacking? Picking up on what was wrong, he turned to Kurt and pouted childishly.

"Hey big brother, where's the pancakes and waffles and biscuits?"

"Not making any," he replied gruffly.

"But _whhhyyy_?" Joe whined.

Kurt raised an eyebrow to his brother. _'So dramatic...'_ "The Egg Festival's tomorrow, remember?" he said quietly.

"Uhh, y-yeah, I knew that! I was just, uh, testing you. And you passed! Good job, Big Brother, keep it up!" he patted his brother's shoulder almost a little too hard, and clambered over to the table to dig in.

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"Okay, now put it in the oven and watch it for...10 minutes," Michael instructed.

"Right.." Ann stuttered nervously. The heat from the oven wafted over her face as her shaky arms put the pastry into it.

There was a silence, and the two were finally starting to believe it would work, exchanging tentative smiles.

Without warning, the oven imploded, and smoke began to seep out of the edges of the door.

"Ohhh, not again! That's the fifth one today! And it's not even lunch!" she cried.

"It's a good thing we turned the smoke detectors off. The poor oven..." Michael sighed somberly, placing his hat over his chest and looking down.

"_That isn't **funny**, Daddy_!" she shrieked.

"Alright, alright." he chuckled. "Let's try again, Ann. How about we make pudding this time instead of cake?"

Ann smiled. She _loved_ pudding. "Okay! Let's do it!"

Unfortunately, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Ann had learned nothing so far.

"_Not again_!" they both groaned.

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"What do you mean you're _'out of eggs'_?" fumed Kurt. "Not _once_ in my _entire life_ have I heard of an egg-less supermarket!"

The clerk simply frowned, used to dealing with irrate customers at this point. "I'm sorry sir, but there's another market down the road, if you'd like to try there. Let me give you the directions..."

After scribling it down on a spare piece of paper, she looked up and smiled, determined to not let the anger get the best of her. "I hope you get those eggs. Have a nice day!"

"Thank you," Kurt said bashfully, regretting his outburst. "And.. I apoloize for yelling like that. It was uncalled for."

She shook her head and smiled. "It's alright. Now, go. You have a festival to prepare for, right?"

"Yes, we do. Thanks again," he replied, exiting the store with a smile on his face.

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"I... I did it... _I did it_!" The ginger-headed girl screamed as she jumped up and down.

"Yes, but it's burnt," Michael pointed out, enunciating with a raised index finger.

"Who _cares_? I did it!"

Michael laughed, happy for his daughter's success. Maybe there was hope for her as a lady yet... "Good. Now lets try pie."

She looked up from her finished dish, still grinning ear to ear. "Really? Oh okay, what flavor?"

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked.

"Hmmm...Apple!"

"Good choice."

They set off rummaging through the refrigerator and pantry, shoving the dirty dishes around and stacking them to make room on the counter. Flour was everywhere, and for a moment they wondered if they would have enough to work with.

"Now first, you want to peel the apples, like this..." he demonstrated, slowly working the peeler in a spiral down the apple.

"Oh I see... Like this?"

"Yes that's right! Now, for the dough, we'll need flour.."

"How much? Oh, can you grab me the milk?"

"Sure," he said, turning to the refrigerator. "For flour about... two cups?" He closed the door, and almost dropped the milk at what he saw Ann about to do. "No, not _that_ kind of cup!" he cried.

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In the end, Ann finally became a somewhat decent cook, and Kurt and Joe got the eggs they needed.

Everyone in FlowerBud, including Thomas and Bob, who were stuck with putting up the tent in the square, was exhausted.

Even Jamie, who was at his wits end with having to put up with questions from Tina like 'Do we color the eggs?' and 'Is there gonna be an egg hunt?' and so on.

When he could finally take no more, he promptly ordered his dog on her. The sound of her screaming, "AAAAHH! JAMIE! GET YOUR DOG OFF ME! No, bad boy, _down_!" helped, somewhat. He smirked, shook his head, and walked into his house. "I swear, that girl..." he muttered to himself.

For a short while, Tina had almost been toreable. She would bring him gifts each day, and usually know when to leave him alone. Apparently, though, she mistook his budding tolerance as a genuine reciprocation of friendship, and began to bother him even more, talking to him for longer spans of time each day about extremely pointless things. And, as if it were even possible, Jamie found himself disliking her even more. Her company and attempted friendship had gone from a somewhat amusing and distracting crusade to simply being exasperating. The pink-clad farmer was also bumping into him everywhere recently- almost on purpose, it seemed. Thoroughly creeped out, and immensely irritated, he became even more blunt and rude than usual. Either Tina was in denial, or exceedingly oblivious to this, and Jamie was willing to bet an arm and leg on the latter.

Soon enough, night descended on Flower Bud, as the residents closed their shops and settled down for the night. Calendars had been marked, plans had been made, and everyone was thinking about the same thing: tomorrow was the Egg Festival. For many of the restless residents, dawn couldn't come fast enough.

The next day, the citizens were nothing short of amazed at what they saw. They had worked so hard, and everything had come together better than they had even expected. The square was decorated with various egg and chicken- themed signs, banners and signs. Several booths, full fresh eggs, were scattered around. Some booths were still empty, waiting to be filled with dishes made in the cooking segment of the festival. As the townspeople began to wander further in the square in amazment, their attention was caught by Theodore, who now stood behind a podium.

"Hello one and all," Theodore greeted cheerfully, "And welcome to this year's speacial Egg Festival. Today, we're not only thanking the chickens, but we will also have a cooking contest-" Here, Ann groaned, "-and an egg hunt." Tina whispered a small "Yes!" as Jamie sighed.

"Now then," he continued, "Let's begin with the egg hunt. Come on now, anyone who wants to join come over here." A large number of the villagers, especially the ones around Tina and Jamie's age, began to form a starting line near Theodore. The tomato-esque man cleared his throat, and raised his voice. "Everyone prepare yourelves! 3...2...1... GOOO!"

The crowd burst from the starting point, dashing off to every possible hiding spot in search of the brightly colored eggs.

Finally, it came down to the last egg nestled in the roots of a young oak tree.

It was almost like some dramatic scene in a foreign drama, or a face- off in the old west between two cowboys. Jamie and Tina stood, equal distances from the tree, glaring daggers at one another. Unlike the honey incident of the other day, this was different. This was a competition, and a public one at that. Jamie knew his pride would be severely crippled if he lost. There was _no way_ he was going to let her have that egg.

Just as Tina was about to suggest settling it with rock paper scissors, Jamie lunged forward and grabbed it. _'Take that, Pigtails!'_

"Heh. You snooze, you lose, Pigtails!" he smirked. But she wouldn't answer him. Head hung, shoulders drooped, it was as though her eyes were glued to the ground by a spell.

_'Don't tell me she's **crying**! What a baby!'_ he groaned to himself. Great, just when he thought he'd one-upped her, she had to go crying like a wimpy little kid. Now, even though he'd gotten the last egg, the villagers would probably all give him death stares for quite a while. Somehow, it was harder to bask in the glory of a win if no one bothered to acknowledge it, despite how little Jamie cared for the approval of others.

Tina glanced back up, a polite smile in the place of what should have been a frown and teary eyes. "Congratulations, Jamie! You did really great."

Smiling? She was _smiling_? Suddenly, he felt like a complete fool. But why? He had grabbed the egg first, so why did it feel like she was the one who won this time? Just when he thought he had the farmer figured out, she would always throw a curveball and confuse him even more. He didn't know whether to be embarrassed or angry. Jamie took a step forward, trying to get a grip on his thoughts.

"W-w-wait!" he stuttered, failing miserably. "W-w-why are you...?" Before he could finish, which was likely to have taken an hour, she dashed back to the square, pigtails bouncing with every step. Halfway there, she stopped and turned back on her heel to face him.

"Come on Jamie!" she called cheerfully, "It's time to see who's the better cook!"

"Right..." he muttered. _'She's absoulutely nuts, this one.'_

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By the time Jamie had made his way back to the square, people were already scrambling around trying to get their cooking stations prepares. Pots, whisks, spoons, and the like were clanging together, and a few villagers were carrying so many crops and dairy products that some were being dropped. After a few minutes, the chaos settled down, and the contestants looked towards Theodore. He spoke quietly to a few contestants, nodded, and finished the conversation. Clearing his throat, he addressed the audience with a smile.

"Now then, is everyone ready? Good, very good. Alright now, from the start of the clock, you have one hour to cook. Gourmet will judge at the end, and the winner will recieve a power berry! Try your hardest, and good luck to all. Starting... Now!" With a small 'beep' from his stopwatch, the clamor from before returned and tensions spiked.

At Ann's table were a quickly growing stock of burnt items, and the tomboy looked nothing short of frantic.

Kurt and Joe decided to go for something unique to catch the judge's attention and started on a batch of waffles, complete with a mound of soft melting butter at the top and drizzled with a rich, maple syrup.

Nina was working quickly but very precisely, and was making enough strawberry cakes to feed an army.

The only one who seemed at ease was Carl. An experienced baker at this point, he was busying himself with cupcakes in very unusual flavors, topped with even less heard-of icings, and even edible decorations. His hands almost seemed to dance through his work, captivating the audience that was watching the competition.

Carl's growing fan base was slowly subverted, however, to a much more interesting development. Tables perpendicular to each other's, Jamie and Tina were caught once again in what felt like it would end up being a battle to the death. Both were making chocolate cake, and both were now more determined than ever to win. Tina seemed to regard this as a friendly competition, and grinned as if to say "Catch me if you can!"

Jamie, of course, saw this as a threat, and fueled by his hate for Tina, put almost everything he had into burning her into the ground with a glare. The air between them seemed to crackle and spark with fire as adrenaline rushed through their veins.

A few minutes passed, and Tina stole a glance at her rival, trying to gauge his progress to hers. Noticing a smudge or chocolate icing on his cheek, she suppressed a giggle. _'Wow, who'd have thought? Jamie can actually look cute, when he works hard like that.'_

Jamie took the moment to chance a look at his opponent as well, and noticed a sly smile on her face, and a strange look clouding her eyes. _'Why is she staring at me like that? Geez, the least she could do is pay attention!'_ he thought viciously.

"Hey, dope!" he called harshly. She looked up and tilted her head, curious as to why he decided to talk in the middle of a competition. It just wasn't like Jamie to get distacted by anything in the middle of a conflict. "You're stiring that too hard. You probably didn't realize, though, what with those gorilla arms and all," he said smugly.

Tina fumed, instantly regretting her moment of... what was it? Sympathy? No, that's not it... Some kind of weakness- but what? "Oh, just shut it why don't you!" she yelled back, stomping her foot. Whatever it was, he certainly wasn't cute anymore.

He smirked to himself. It was so easy to provoke her that it was funny. "Why not give up?" he retorted. "You're just gonna fail again. It's kind of sad that you think you can win, you know!"

Tina grinded her teeth and clenched her hands into fists to hard she thought her nails would cut into her skin. She kept the smile on her face, but her lips were thinned, and it was obvious she was trying very hard to control her temper. But it just wasn't fair! Jamie was mean to her all the time, and she never got back at him or yelled at him.

_'Well that does it!'_ she raged silently. Grabbing her rubber mixing spoon, she scooped it full of the goopy, brown batter and bent it back as far as it could go.

_'See how you like this, **poncho-boy**!'_ she giggled madly in her head. With an effortless flick of her finger, the front of the spoon was released, and batter showered down on Jamie.

"Aaugh! What in the-?" he gasped, gaping at his now soiled poncho. Realization dawned on him, and he was furious. "You're _dead_, Pigtails!" he bellowed.

He scooped up a handful of icing in his bare hand, and chucked it with all his might. It landed with a disgusting 'plop' right in her hair.

"Yaaah!" she shrieked, eyes practically bulging out of her head.

Ann looked over and gasped. "How dare you do that to my new best friend, you jerk! Take this!" She snatched a burnt pudding, and aimed for Jamie's hat.

He ducked, however, causing it to hit Joe instead. "Huh? Heeeyyy, what was_ that_ for?"

Kurt was rabid. He knew Ann and his brother didn't get along, but attacking him out of nowhere? There was no way he could just let that go. "Hey! You leave my little brother alone!" With lightning speed, he grabbed a fresh egg and hurled it at Ann, hitting her right in the middle of the the chest.

Michael saw only Kurt's actions, and was immediately out for revenge. "How _dare_ you throw things at my daughter, you little punk!" He lunged some burnt pie back at Kurt, but it hit Maria instead. "Oh my goodness!" she gasped, almost on the verge of tears. "But I loved this dress!"

Ray, her secret admirer, was devastated. How could anyone do that to someone so gentle and beautiful? It was unacceptable! _'Don't worry Maria, I will protect you!'_ he vowed.

He picked up an egg, concentrated his aim, and catapulted it straight at Michael.

Which, in turn, angered Liz, who attempted to hit Ray with an omlette. The omelette missed it's target, and sailed right into Blue's backside. "Auughh! What's your deal?"

Ann had had enough by then. "Blue, no!" she picked up a syrupy pancake and threw it at Liz, but it hit Alex when she dived under a table.

Pretty soon, even Martha and Woody were chucking cake at everyone. The festival had turned into a fluffy free- for- all, and the Mayor was sick of it.

He burst out from below a table, hands balled into fists at his sides. "**_EVERYONE, BE QUIET_**!" he screamed with a tone of authority and wrath that rivaled Albus Dumbledore.

The townspeople halted instantaneously. Had it not beed for the remaining food in the air dropping to the ground with a splat, it would have seemed like someone paused a movie.

He pivoted slowly, making eye contact with each and every villager. "_Who. Started. This_?" he growled. The crowd took a collective step to the side and pointed at Jamie and Tina who were covered from head to toe with food.

They both pointed at each other. "He did it!" "She did it!" they yelped in unison.

The mayor sighed and rubbed his temples. "What _happened_?" he groaned.

"She threw _batter_ at me!" Jamie hissed, clearly not ready to let go of his anger anytime soon.

"Only because _you_ were being mean!" Tina wailed.

"Both of you _stop it_!" he roared. "This is _appaling_! You mean to tell me that at your age, your idea of solving an argument is _a food fight_?"

"But Mayor Theodore-" Jamie began, but was cut off with a withering glare from Theodore.

"I don't want to hear another word of it! You're _both_ at fault, now _apologize_."

They stood there, pouting, neither wanting to admit defeat first. Jamie was looking everywhere but at Tina's face. She lowered her head again, and a deafening silence filled the air. All eyes were on them.

'_Ooohhhh, **crap**! Don't cry, don't cry, please don't cry!'_ he thought desperately.

It was bad enough he almost had her crying before, now he was actually going to succeed. _'Oh man, they're gonna burn me at the stakes if I don't **do** something!'_

"Um, I..." he stuttered._ 'Arrgh, why does this have to be so difficult?'_ He cleared his throat, and spoke louder."I- I was m-mean to you, and I, um... I'm s-so-sorry!"

Slowly, she brought her head back up and met his eyes. For a moment, he was relieved she wasn't crying, but the miserable look on her face was a thousand times worse than tears would have been. _'Careful what you wish for...'_ echoed in his mind.

"No...I'm sorry. It was just as much my fault as yours." A short, dejected laugh bubbled up from her throat. "I guess I just lost my temper. I forgot that... you hate everybody," she muttered morosely. Turning towards the Mayor, she tried to look a little more cheerful.

"I really need to go take a bath. Can I go home now, Mayor Theodore?"

He nodded. "You may all go home. This was indeed an... _interesting_ festival. Well then... Come back next year!" he smiled awkwardly.

Everyone looked at each other, surveying the damage. And then, out of the blue, they all began laughing. Some were even close to tears, and leaning on one another. Shouts of, "Look at your _face_!" and, "Oh my gosh, _your hair_!" were thrown around generously.

Tina stood, awestruck at the spectacle, and soon she began giggling along with the rest of them. Jamie sighed inwardly, greatly relieved. _'I would have been dead for sure if she had started crying...'_

It was funny, though. Had Tina never moved to Flower Bud, nothing like this would have ever happened, for sure. This year's Egg Festival would probably be the same as last year's, and the year before that. Go to the festival, cook the best dish again, win, and go home. Winning was nice, of course. It was the only possible outcome, what with him being so perfect and all. But having Tina there... it was interesting. She was annoying, yes. And she didn't stand a chance against him, yes. And he hated her,_ big_ yes. But at least it was something new. He'd never had a rival before.

In fact, it was really funny. To think that one short, childish, clueless girl could cause all this trouble. _'Who would have ever thought she could be anything besides annoying?'_ He looked around the square, covered in food, broken eggs, and full of shouts and laughter. It was complete chaos, and it was all because of _her_.

When he thought of it that way, Jamie found it hard to hold in laughter himself. He pulled his hat down over his face, and buried his chin in his scarf, trying to hide the grin breaking out.

Tina noticed, and began to gawk. "J- Jamie! A-are you _laughing_? No way!" she squealed increduously. His gaze snapped back to Tina, eyes widening. _'Darn it, of all the times for her to notice something!'_

"D- Don't get the wrong idea, Pigtails! I'm only laughing because you all look so stupid, covered in food and cackling away like a bunch of hyenas!" Which was true, really. They did look stupid, rolling around in filth and howling like that.

Her eyes narrowed, and she grinned smugly. "Uh-uh, Jamie, no way! I _know_ you're lying. You're having fun, aren't you? Admit it!" she teased, jabbing his upper arms and chest repeadtedly.

"Ugh, no way!" he spat, shoving her hand away. "You're nuts if you think that I would actually think something like_ that_-"

His thoughts were squashed, however, as Tina rushed towards him, enveloping him in a crushing hug. Jamie was absolutely paralyzed. She was sticky and gross from the food she was covered in, but she had a certain, strange warmth to her. He could feel the rumble of her laughing against his chest. Suddenly, he was warm, too. _Very_ warm. _'Why am I...?"_

She pulled out of the embrace abruptly, grinning shyly. "Well, I'm sure you've had enough of me annoying you. Hey, I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye!" And as soon as she had tackled him, she was off down the road, back to her home.

After what seemed like hours, and yet seconds at the same time, Jamie was still standing frozen in place. Alex, one of the only people in the village on somewhat friendly terms with him, decided to see why he was acting so strange.

"Good evening, Jamie. How are you?" Still, nothing. Alex walked around, standing in front of the farmer- gone- space- cadet. Upon further examination, he looked quite flushed. It could be from the fight, but that had ended half an hour ago._ 'I wonder if he's okay... Maybe I'll have him come down to clinic.'_ he mused.

"Jamie?" he tried again. "You look flushed. Are you feeling all right? I can get you some medicine from the clinic, if you need."

He blinked a few times, before turning his head towards the doctor. "Oh, um, no, I- I'm fine. I just, uh, I should go home now. Goodbye," he nodded his head shortly, and briskly walked back to his farm.

Alex stood there confused. What had gotten into him? Surely a food fight wasn't that jarring. "He gets wierder and wierder each day," he muttered to himself.

He shook his head. Even if Jamie and he were friends in a way, it was probably none of his business. Besides, Jamie was so sensitive about his privacy it was highly unlikely he'd talk about it. "Come on Martha, it's time to go." The elderly nurse looked up from trying to clean her small, round glasses on a soiled apron, but only making it worse. She huffed to herself and dropped the apron's hem, giving up on it. "Quite right. Let's go get cleaned up."

By the time everyone had gone home, it was almost sunset. Two gruff men stood in the middle of the square, trying to figure out how to solve their current predicament.

"I can't believe we voluteered to clean this," Ray groaned. _'We'll be here all night...'_

"Let's just get it over with," Terry said, already picking up plates and cups and carrying them to the garbage bin.

The young fisherman picked up a broom and sighed. "Yeah, I guess..."

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**Edit: I did go back and re- re- edit this chapter, as I noticed I had used the same line of dialouge in this chapter and the previous one. How embarassing! As always, reviews are appreciated. I'm not motivated to write unless I feel like someone's reading..

**_Also, please tell me if you notice any spelling and/or grammatical errors. I hate when I read it, and I hate it even more when I do it._**


	3. Gone Fishing

I'd write an author's note, but no one reads these damn things anyway! :DDD

~Spring 10th~

On most days, Flower Bud was a sun- kissed village, bathed in warmth and soft breezes. On this particular day, however, the sun made no appearance. The first rain of the year had finally come, bringing rest to farmers from watering crops and puddles for children to play in tomorrow. Frogs hopped here and there as the clouds lazily drifted through a grey sky and raindrops pattered softly towards the ground, quiet enveloping the town.

Flower Bud's resident fishing expert, Ray, was especially glad for the rain. When it rained, rare fish were sure to be found shortly after. And as much as Ray loved fishing, it certainly didn't make him rich.

So it was a little bittersweet, he thought to himself, that he loved what the rain brought so much, but couldn't stand to be, well, standing in it.

Kurt, who was making his way home from Starry Hill after the rain began to pour, noticed Ray scanning the area, trying to find trees to sit under as shelter.

"Hey," he greeted. Ray looked up from the tree he was under, which wasn't doing so good at keeping the rain away. "I guess rain is the only thing that'll stop you from fishing, huh?"

He grinned bashfully. "Yeah. I love to fish, but I would hate to catch cold. Plus, there's no use fishing during a rain, because the fish are all asleep then. I can't do anything today, but tomorrow I'm going to look for the King of Sunny Lake."

"Really? I heard no one's ever caught it before. That'll be tough."

He nodded silently, looking out over the lake. There was an awkward silence as both contemplated what to do next. Kurt shifted on his feet. Sure, he and Ray weren't close, but... It would be terrible to be stuck out in the rain like this.

He cleared his throat, getting Ray's attention once more. "Listen, um... You and Little Brother get along so well, and I'd hate to leave you out in the rain like this... Why don't you come spend the night at our place?"

"Huh? O-oh, no, it's really okay. I don't want to impose or anything." he stuttered, embarrassed at the fact he was essentially homeless.

Kurt shook his head. "No, really, it's fine. We always keep a few extra cots, and I'm sure Joe would love to talk about fish with you. Besides, the weather channel says the storm's going to be getting worse. Little Brother would flip if he knew I let one of his friends stay out in a storm."

He smiled embarrassedly again. When in the world did he make such good friends? It was a nice feeling to have someone look out for him. Being a lone fisherman usually kept him away from society. How had he not noticed how lonely it got?

"Well, I suppose if it's no trouble, and I haven't talked to Joe in a while. Alright, I'll stay the night."

The young carpenter returned his own half smile. "It's no problem. Any friend of Joe's is a friend of mine."

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Jamie sat in the dry comfort of his barn, meticulously brushing his prized cow, Moomoo. Sure, the cow festival was a long ways off, but it was important to plan ahead, right? In order to keep up with the competition from Blue Ranch, as well as maintain his record of winning the past 3 years in a row, Jamie had to constantly be a step ahead.

"I know you want to go out, but you can't today. We can't have you getting sick, can we? When it clears up, I'll take you outside, Moomoo."

The cow gave a soft grunt as if she understood.

Most would probably think it was strange, for someone to have a conversation with a cow, especially if that someone were Jamie. But the sharp- tounged rancher had a soft spot for animals, and got along with them far better than he did with people. Was it because animals could be trained, and made to obey an owner's command? Was it because they were so silent? Jamie himself didn't really know, they just seemed easier to tolerate than humans. That being said, Jamie prefered his own animals over anyone else's. His were superior; more intelligent because of their exposure to him, and yielded better quality products, which was also due to his care. A picture of what Tina's animals would be like (if she ever was successful enough to get any) flitted through his mind. _'Probably be stupid and loud, just like her,' _he snorted to himself.

Jamie continued brushing his cow, and began voicing his thoughts. Without realizing it, he began to give a small smirk "I wonder what's up with that girl, anyway? I haven't seen her since the Egg Festival." Moomoo snorted and shook her head in a way that seemed to portray disdain. Jamie chuckled in spite of himself. _'She seems to have it right,'_ he thought. Of course, Moomoo was probably the smartest animal he had.

"Oh well, less headache for me," he shrugged, as he put the brush back into his knapsack and walked to the barn door. He picked the door's lock up from a nearby barrel, and began to fasten it around one of the door handles.

"I'm going back to the house now, Moomoo. I'll see you tomorrow." As he closed the door, he linked the lock around the other door's handle, and locked it shut with a key.

Jamie stared up into the cloudy skies from underneath his lopsided hat._ 'Humph... Looks like the rain is getting worse. Well the good thing is, I don't have to worry about anyone bothering me today. No one in their right mind would be out in this kind of weather.'_

Just as he began to unlock his front door, the calming sound of the rain and thunder rolling in the distance was shattered by an all too familiar voice.

"Jaaaamiiiieee!" it called, holding far too much happiness in it than such a stormy day warranted.

_'Oh Harvest Goddess, spare me...'_ he silently prayed. Trying to go inside and ingnoring her was no use. Once she targeted you, you were done. Doomed.

The petite farmer bounded up the cobbled street, slowing down as she reached the doorstep of her rival. "Oh, whew," she panted. "I was starting to think I wouldn't see you today, seriously though where have you been? Hey, hey! You won't believe-"

"No, I don't think I will," he snapped. "What do you want? It's raining, and I'd like to go inside before I catch pnuemonia. Or worse, I might catch stupid from you. If you want something, hurry up."

She huffed in exasperation. Catching her breath, she began, "Okay, well, Ray told me that the King fish shows up after rain. I know he's really good at fishing and all, but I just had to ask you because I always see running around with a fishing pole and I figured you would know about something like this. So, is what Ray said true? If I went fishing tomorrow, could a catch a King fish?"

_'Geez, what a motor- mouth,'_ Jamie thought.

"Yes, Tina," he sighed, "but the King fish is-"

"Let's go catch it together tomorrow!" she all but yelled, suddenly beaming.

His eyebrows quirked up in amusement. Was she serious? "Hah! _Me,_ go fishing with _you_? Now why would I do that? You'll just be in the way of what I need to do. To an inexperienced failure like you, catching the King is impossible. But for capable people like me, catching the King fish takes only an hour or two!"

Defying his expectation of anger and having a fit, she began to gasp in wonder. "Wooowww...Really? You mean, you could catch one that quick?"

His lips curled up in a smug smile. Of course someone like Pigtails would be easily impressed, especially by someone so superior to her! Deciding to bask in the pride, he went on.

"Yeah. I've done it lots of times." He glanced back over to her, trying to gauge her thoughts.

The smile faded, and her eyes clouded in a way that let him know she was thinking about something. _'Maybe she's giving up and going home? About time...'_ He started to turn back towards his door, when she spoke again.

"Then...You can help me catch it!" she declared with a tone of finality.

He spun his head around so fast he almost got whiplash.

"Huh? No way, Pigtails, I'm not helping you! Ask Ray or Joe to be your teacher. I've got better things to do. And why should I even think of helping you? You're my _rival_!"

She smirked (which was rare and quite disturbing on Jamie's part) as she hatched an idea.

"I bet you I can catch it before you tomorrow," she offered.

So it was competition she wanted? Jamie was a bit surprised. Any sort of competition between the two was usually instigated by Jamie, and Tina would play along just for the sake of having something to do. She would often mention that their rivalry, while fun, wasn't nearly as fun as a friendship would be. _'What a load of it!'_ he scoffed.

_'And she's so off the wall, too. Happy one minute, then quiet, and suddenly she's hyper again.'_ Honestly, it must be exhausting to be that emotional on a daily basis.

"Hmm...Alright, if you insist on a pounding. Tomorrow at Sunny Lake, 8:30 a.m. If you're even a _minute_ late, I get an hour head start. Got it?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Got it! I can't wait! Bye Jamie!" The pink vested nightmare twisted on her heel and hastened home, her feet noisily slapping the puddles on the uneven road.

He sighed for the umpteenth time that day. _'By the time tomorrow's over I'll probably have a migrane.'_

Tina kneeled on the floor of her house, scratching the floppy ears of her dog Mocha. Walking into her cramped bathroom, she grabbed a towel and began setting up a hot shower.

_'I can't wait!' _she giggled to herself. _'Ray said I was really good at fishing, so I know I can win this time. Prepare to lose, Jamie!'_

As they both fell asleep that night, their last thoughts were of the next day and what it would bring. One slept happily and heavily, while the other couldn't help but toss and turn.

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Spring 11th.

Jamie jolted awake that morning, already wide awake and getting ready as fast as he could. He had spent hours the previous night preparing for the day, even going as far as to estimate the time it took to do his work each morning, walk to Sunny Lake, and still be there before Tina. If his calculations were correct (which he was certain they would be on account of his perfect nature) everything would go smoothly. Just for good measure, he strove to complete his work that morning as fast as he could. After double checking his backpack for fishing gear and a packed lunch, he slung it across one shoulder and set off for Sunny Lake.

At first, he considered using the paved roads, but quickly changed his mind after realing he may bump into Tina on the way. _'Goodness knows she'll make me walk right next to her and talk the whole way. I don't think I could deal with having to see her before 8:30...'_

So that was why Jamie was currently stepping and almost tripping over countless roots and getting whacked in the face by branches as he snuck through the woods, almost dizzy from shaking his head and swatting away gnats. _'Of course, Tina doesn't make anything easy in my life, no- of course she has to make everything a nightmare with her annoying self! Ugh, if I rip my poncho on one of these trees, she's buying me a new one. Scratch that, it'll probably be neon pink with kittens on it or something,'_ he seethed, knocking a branch out of the way with a particularly hard smack.

As he reached the shimmering shores of Sunny Lake, though, his anger began to fade. It was another bright day in Flower Bud, and although Jamie never thought much about the weather, he couldn't help it when he was at a place like Sunny Lake. The water's surface was crystal clear, and as aquamarine as the skies above. Birds flew from tree to tree, trilling softly, and the sound of the water lapping gently against the bank was immensely calming. Pure, white clouds drifted through the sky, stirring a warm spring breeze. But it also made Jamie think of how foolish humans could be. Everything in nature was so beautiful, and yet humans were obsessed with opressing nature but cutting down trees, and filling up rivers all over only to synthetically create a body of water in some other place for the sake of good looks.

Heaving the smallest of sighs, he brought his arm up to his midsection and rolled back the sleeve of his poncho. _'Humph. 8:15 a.m., as I suspected. Now I just have to wait for her to show up.'_

He chose a dry spot near the bank, and sat down in the prickly grass, breathing in the earthy scent around him. _'I really should come here more often...' _he thought.

He looked at his watch again._ 'It's only 8:18? Humph, this'll take forever.' _He cupped the side of his face with a hand, resting his elbow on his knee. _'Though I wonder why she wants to do this? She's an amateur fisher, so she can't really expect to win this. Maybe she thinks I'll help her? No, that can't be. Pigtails is pretty brainless, but she knows I don't just help her if she asks. I must have told her a hundred times already. Surely she wouldn't forget that easily...' _Crouching forward more, he furrowed his brow in concentration. _'What could she be getting at?'_ His other hand wandered toward the ground, and began fiddling with blades of grass.

_'Wait! She's always going on about how she wants to be friends, so... Does that mean she asked me here because... That crazy girl, does she actually __**want**__... To spend time with me?'_

The mere notion struck a wave of ice- cold fear into his belly, but he couldn't dislodge it from his mind. He began pulling at the blades of grass harder, jerking them around in frustration. _'Oh come on, don't be so pessimistic! Maybe she finally realizes that you can't be anything but rivals, so she wants to get serious about competing... In her own, incredibly flawed, terribly thought of way. Either way, as much as I speculate, I don't think I could ever know what goes on in that tiny, jumbled brain of hers...'_

Jamie sighed. "I really don't understand women..."

"Why's that?" asked an innocent voice.

"I- Aaaah!" he yelped, jerking upward. As he turned, he saw Tina's eyes, warm and brown, peer into his own. She was bent over, her head cocked to the side, looking at him with curiosity.

"Back off will ya? Geez," he muttered. "Almost gave me a heart attack. Where do you get off, sneaking up behind people like that?"

"Well, at least I don't talk to myself!" she laughed. Jamie scowled. _'Humph. That was... surprisingly clever of her_,' he surmised. Banishing his brief tolerance, he turned back to the subject at hand- her irritating actions.

"It's not funny, Pigtails!" he scowled. "I don't know how long it's gonna take you to get this, but I am _not_ someone you wanna mess with, so don't do stuff like that anymore or you'll regret it!"

"Can you drop the middle school drama and move on? Gosh, you think I'd kicked your dog in the ribs or something. Let's just fish already," she said as she rolled her eyes.

_'I suppose she'll just have to learn on her own. It's not like she ever listens.'_ He glanced back to his rival, who was giving him an impatient look, tapping her foot. "Well? Are we gonna fish or not?" she asked with a hint of anger.

_'Geez, this girl is so impatient! If she's so eager to be defeated, she can be my guest.'_

"Just you wait!" he snarled as he pulled his fishing rod from his backpack. "I'll pulverize you!"

Tina whipped out her fishing pole as well, and leveled him with a glare. "On the count of three, okay? One, two-"

But Jamie decided not to give her the satisfaction, and flung his line far out into the lake. It landed on the water with a faint _plop_ and began to sink.

He looked back to Tina, who was now furious. "Jaaaamieee! That's not fair, you didn't wait 'till I said three!" she pouted.

"Humph! I never _said_ I was gonna wait, dope! Who do you think you are, telling me when to cast? Like one second's gonna even matter. I could give you a whole hour headstart and you'll still lose to me!"

"Oh, whatever," she fumed.

They stopped talking altogether after a while, which Jamie welcomed. As the sun climbed higher into the day, it got warmer and Jamie decided to remove his thick, woolen poncho, hoping he wouldn't be too hot in his black shirt. Turning back to the water, he almost picked up his rod again when a gasp from Tina shook him from his thoughts.

"J-Jamie! Something's tugging the line!"

"Reel it in, stupid..." he muttered.

"Bu- but I... I forgot how!" she cried, panicked.

"Are you serious? You ask me to come out here, and you can't even remember how to reel something in? No way! I do _not_ help people, especially _you_! Figure it out yourself or fail, I don't care." He snatched his rod up from the ground and turned back to the lake, trying to ignore the sorry sight next to him, but soon enough it became impossible. Tina was jerking the rod this way and that, pulling and yanking on every knob on the fishing pole. Finally, she grasped the reel. Jamie almost sighed in relief, but felt like screaming when he realized she was trying to pull it straight. When that didn't work, she reached for the line to pull it in with her hands.

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" he snapped, stomping over to her and grabbing the pole. He positioned himself behind her, and held the rod in front of them both, his hands on top of hers. "Look. It goes like _this_, moron. You almost had it there. What you're supposed to do is crank this _back_, not pull it! Like this," he explained, demonstrating the motion.

"O- oh yeah... That was how Ray said to do it... Whoops," she laughed nervously.

"You're hopless," he sighed, "You know that? Couldn't remember how to reel it in..."

Tina looked down at the reel, noticing he still held his on hers. _'He has surprisingly warm hands... And as much as he yells, he's so gentle.' _Blushing and unable to hold in a content smile, she looked back up at her grumpy rival.

"W-what? What are you lookin' at me like that for?" he snapped.

Her smile spread even farther across her face, and she leaned back and snuggled into his chest. "You're so sweet, helping me like this. Thank you, Jamie!"

His eyes almost popped out of his head, and he couldn't help but jolt a little. Why was she doing this to him? Smiling at him like that, like he'd saved her life or something, her petite form pressed against his chest. Her hair, that smelled like lilacs and vanilla, was tickling the bottom of his nose.

Usually, an immediate response would have been to yell at her, or push her away from him. For some reason, though, his brain wouldn't connect to his body, and he was left paralyzed. His head began to swim in a strange dizziness, and he felt his heart beat faster and his face flush. In his shocked state, he neglected to finish reeling Tina's fish in, and it was now flopping through the water trying to escape.

Tina turned back to the lake, still smiling, and began the motion again herself. The renewed motion snapped Jamie out his hazy state, and he quickly realized what he was doing.

_'Ew gross, I'm touching the pink wonder's hand!'_ he grimaced. Scowling, he pushed her away ( _'Finally!'_ screamed the rational part of his brain), and went to pick up his own rod.

"You might want to go grab that fish. If you try to reel it to the top of the pole, it'll break," he said. It was supposed to come out with more anger and venom, but he guessed he was just too tired to put the effort in it.

Tina nodded back at him, and set her fishing pole down. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks again!" she said cheerfully.

"Humph! Don't get the wrong idea. I just said that because, if you broke your fishing pole, the competition would be over. And I'm not going home until I show you that you're no match for me! So don't think that I was trying to be nice or anything stupid like that," he sneered.

"M-hm, okay" she hummed, and skipped to the water's edge. Pulling the line in, she took a look at the fish she caught. It was green on the top, with yellow fins, and had a white belly.

"Hey, Jamie! What kind of fish is this?" she asked.

He turned his head to look at it, and immediately knew what it was. Having caught many fish in general himself, he was very familiar with every kind that lived in Flower Bud.

"That's a Dace. They're fresh water fish, and they're very common. You can't eat them, and they don't sell for much, especially a small one like this," he explained.

She frowned. "Oh..." There was a splash as the fish was tossed back into the lake, and Tina re- cast her line.

A few hours passed, and the rivals became lost in their thoughts. They didn't speak (for Tina knew Jamie wasn't fond of conversation, and didn't want to push her luck), but the silence was oddly peaceful. It wasn't awkward or thick with tension, but merely a comforting silence where words weren't needed.

Jamie's thoughts wandered to his farm. His crops were sufficiently watered. How were his animals doing? Suddenly, he remembered that he'd rushed to the lake that morning so fast that he forgot to let his animals out to graze. _'I'm sorry, Moomoo. I just can't seem to get rid of this stalker...' _he sighed out loud.

Tina glanced over at him, worried. If ever she heard Jamie sigh, it was usually something to do with her. And she hadn't been speaking to him for a while, so he had to be worried about something. _'I wonder what it is he's worried about? It seems important. Maybe I should ask him. And if he tells me what's bothering him, then that means he trusts me, right? If I'm going to be his friend, I should help him when he needs it,' _she reasoned.

"Is something the matter?" she inquired.

"Nothing. I was just-" his attempted insult was instantly bitten back when he felt something tug the end of his line.

_'I've got something! Please be the King, please be the King,' _he chanted to himself.

The more he tried to reel it in, the more it fought. Tearing and jerking all over the place, almost pulling Jamie into the water. From the sheer force of it, Jamie could tell it was something big.

Mind racing, he spun the reel with all of his might, excitement like electricity shooting through him. _'It's the King fish, I just know it!'_

By now, Tina wasn't even watching her own line. She was too amazed at seeing Jamie fight the mysterious fish, looking as determined and headstrong as she'd ever seen him.

_'I can't wait to see the look on her face. Haahaha!'_ he cackled inwardly.

Finally, with an almighty yank, he ripped the fish from the lake. As it burst through the surface, water rained down in cooling droplets, iluminated by the afternoon sun.

"Hah!" he interjected with pride. "Who's the boss-" but as soon as he saw what was on the end of his line, he was horrified.

There, covered in mud and moss, was a decrepit old wooden box. Looking closer, something was once painted on it, but had been washed away over time.

_'Well isn't this humiliating. I suppose I won't live this down for a few months,'_ he groaned.

But instead of taunts and poorly concealed laughter, Tina was staring at the box in complete wonder. With a smile and wide, bright eyes, she turned to Jamie and said, "Wooow! I've never seen anything like this in the lake before! What is it Jamie?" Placing her own fishing pole on the grass, she walked over to the spot where Jamie had dragged it onto the bank. To Tina, it wasn't a box, but a mystery. She wanted to know what the box was, and why it was there.

"Uh, it's..." he trailed off. How could he make her think it was something valuable? If he just told her it was trash, she would definitely tease him for thinking it was the rarest fish for miles. If he could distract her with some kind of story, maybe she would forget that minor detail.

From somewhere in the depths of his mind, perhaps form some long forgotten fairy tale he'd read about as a child or a dream he'd forgotten, a story appeared. He latched onto it like a life line and poured his concentration into remembering it.

"This is...The legendary treasure map of The Lotus!" he said, feigning shock.

Her eyes widened even more as she gasped yet again. She was hooked, and they both knew it. _'Got her!' _he smirked to himself.

"What's The Lotus, Jamie?" she asked, practically bouncing up and down.

"Well," he began dramatically, "Many many years ago, a man named Captain Vesperus Basai Stone lived in FlowerBud. He had a beautiful yacht that he went fishing on, whic was named The Lotus, with a large crew and very expensive equipment. He was very rich, and had lots of jewels and gold.

"He lived in huge mansion up near the mountain, and was almost a recluse. But he was very greedy, and he was mean to everyone too, so he never got married or had any kids. By the time he got old, there was no one he knew of to entrust his fortune to."

They were now both sitting in the ground, the box in between them. Tina had her head tilted to the side, and glanced up from the box to Jamie with a puzzled look on her face. Before she could say anything, though, Jamie continued with his story.

"He decided that it would be useless if he just let his fortune rot, so he devised a plan. Whoever could solve the mystery of it's location first and find the treasure could keep it. First, he gathered his treasure and buried it in an unknown location. We dont know if it was buried in the groud, or if it's deep in a cave, or even if it's sunken in the ocean somewhere. But he wanted to make it a little more interesting than that, so he drew out a map that lead to various clues. Each clue that was found would bring the scavenger one step closer to finding the true location of the fortune. Shortly after his completion of the map, however, he died of old age."

By now, Tina was leaning so close to Jamie she almost fell on him. There were practically stars in her eyes as she no doubt started dreaming up visions of solving the mystery and unearthing the treasure. Her face fell quickly, though, and her brow furrowed. "But Jamie, if that's so, how come no one went looking for the treasure?" she asked.

"It's pretty simple, really," he lied smoothly. "None of the people in FlowerBud wanted his treasure, because they feared it would poison them with the same greed that Captain Stone had. The people left it alone, and as the years passed most people forgot about it. But why is the box that holds the map here, in the lake? I guess it's just one of life's mysteries," he shrugged.

"Are you kidding me? The box is right here, let's open it and check out the map!" she cheered.

Jamie blinked, scrambling for an idea. Thinking up that story off the top of his head was hard enough, now he'd gone and made her think they'd go treasure hunting! _'How am I gonna keep her from opening that? I am __**such**__ an idiot.'_

"But what about the curse? Aren't you scared that if you open it, you'll be poisoned with his greed?" he asked, with a convincing amount of seriousness in his voice.

"Pffft! Who would believe in some silly old curse?" she laughed, waving it off with her hand. Sitting back upright, she pinned Jamie with a fiery gaze and a smirk that even made him proud. "It's probably a test, or a joke or something. I don't believe in things like that, and if Captain Stone's going to haunt me for it, well, he can come and get it!"

_'She sure can be stubborn when she wants something... What a maniac,'_ Jamie mused with a small amount of wonder. _'I suppose that would make her a decent rival, someday. Maybe.'_

Jamie was unable to stop her as she ran her hand along the edgde of the box, found a gap, and pried it open with a flamboyant swing. The two leaned closer in, and peered into the shadowy depths of the crate.

"It's empty," she said quietly. Jamie began to bite his lower lip, trying to think of what to do next. He began to berate himself. _'Of course you knew it was going to be empty, you dolt! You made the whole thing up! Now she's going to figure it out and-'_

"Pirates!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Pirates must have taken the map! It's the only plausable explanation! You said so yourself, Jamie. Captain Stone was a rich man. I bet word of his fortune spread to other towns, and when the pirates heard, they must have come in the night and taken it! That's _got_ to be it!"

_'Thank goodness she came up with that on her own! For once, it's not so bad that she always gets ahead of herself,'_ he thought. Hopefully, she wouldn't cook up some plan about chasing the "pirates" down and claiming the fortune, and this could be the end of it. Jamie could have fainted in relief, and he couldn't help but show it on his face.

"I know, I'm totally bummed about it, too, Jamie," she said sagely. "But it's fine. At least we know what happened now!" Pausing for a moment, she looked down at the box again and picked it up. "Say, Jamie... I think there's writing on this box. It's all a bunch of weird symbols."

Taking a gander at it for himself, Jamie could see it was merely another language. Korean, if he guessed right. Of course, if he told he it was another language, it wouldn't add up with the story. _'Might as well go all the way,'_ he sighed to himself.

"You know, it might be part of the map. Like a code. Maybe the map was coded, and this stuff is the key," he pseudo- speculated.

"That's awesome! I guess it's no use since we don't have the map for it, though. You know Jamie, you're incredibly sharp. You figured pretty much the whole thing out so quick! Hahaha!" she giggled.

He stuttered, trying to regain the confidence he usually had. "Uh, well, yes, of course! I am a genius after all."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but notice that it was almost sunset by then. The sky bathed the land in golden and red tints, and the sun was slowly creeping below the clouds. _'Wow, I had no idea we'd been out here so long. I guess time flies when you're having fun,' _she smiled softly to herself. "But you know," she said, "I think I'd like to keep this."

"The map's not even there anymore, so it's useless now. Why would you want that smelly piece of trash?" he asked, making a disgusted face. Tina glared up at Jamie, already defensive about it. It was so like Jamie to see the box as a piece of trash, but Tina thought differently. She saw it as a treasure, and wanted to keep it. Tina knew that each time she saw it, she would remember this day, and she never wanted to forget it.

Besides, Tina wondered, what would be the point if he just threw it away? If she kept it, at least someone would get something out of it.

"Firstly," she quipped, "It's not a piece of trash. I think of it as a memento to remember today. I... I had a lot of fun, so I don't want to forget this..." by the end of it, she was blushing at the ground.

Jamie was confused. So it was for a sentimental reason that she wanted the box? _'It's not as though anything overly special happened today,'_ he thought. Women always seemed like such complex creatures to Jamie. The only woman he ever came close to understanding was the Harvest Goddess, but now she was imprisoned in stone. It was painful to think about, and it made him angry when he saw his rival, who supposed to be at least _trying_ to save her, go on about trivial things like emotions and memories. What mattered most was that she was his competition. She was in his way, and they were both fighting to be the one to revive her, or so Jamie thought.

"Neither of us even caught the King, so there was no real competition between us. Why would you want to remember this day so clearly? It has nothing to do with me beating you, or getting notes, or anything like that," he argued.

"Because, Jamie! You always say that you'll never be my friend, but you spent the whole day with me. You helped me when I forgot how to fish, and you told me all about Captain Stone," she smiled as she looked back at the fresh memories, already feeling miles away from them. "You didn't have to do any of that. Even though you kept telling me I would lose to you, you still gave me the chance. It's kind of strange, and I don't really understand it. Every day, you tell me that I'll never be any match for you, but you never turn me down in a competition. When I mess things up, you tell me I'm an idiot and that you won't help me, but you end up doing it anyway."

He scoffed. Why did she continue to believe that he wanted to be her friend? How could he ever get through that thick skull of hers? But just like every other time, he tried to make her understand just how deep his hatred for her ran.

"Listen. I don't turn you down for a match because we're destined to be rivals. You can see the Harvest Sprites, and they say that you're meant to help awaken her. Well, I was here way before you, and no one had to ask me to set her free! The only reason I don't underestimate you is because if I can prove that I'm better than you- if I can gather notes faster, _I'll_ be the one to bring her back!"

He paused to catch his breath, hoping she would looked shocked. He expected to see tears, or anger. Her expression, though, was all but blank. It almost looked disappointed, but it was hard to tell. When he tried to look her in the eyes, he found that he couldn't stand it, and had to look away. Something in them was just too intense, and it almost scared him.

"As for helping you," he said, now clamer, "It's only because you're so pitiful that I can't stand the sound of your whining anymore. Plus, it wouldn't do any good if you started to forget that you can't do anything right, would it?"

The pink vested farmer nodded, seeming to come to an understanding. Clasping her hands in front of her, she smiled at Jamie knowingly.

"All of the things you say are believable. They're sound arguments, and I can tell without a doubt that you see them as truth... But I don't. I think that you have a hard time with people, and you don't know what to do about it."

_**'What?'**_ he thought, furious. Here was this girl, who barely knew him, and now she was acting like some kind of therapist! It was none of her business how he dealt with people. And who was she to say how he really felt? If he told her he hated her, then he hated her, damn it!

"What the heck do you care, anyway? Why are you so hell- bent on being my friend?" he snarled.

"I like you," she stated simply.

"You _like_ me? Why would you _like_ me? I've been nothing but mean to you!"

For a moment, she paused, and Jamie started to think she had nothing to say. That she was lying about even liking him, and it was all some big joke. He could have lived with that- he hated her. At least then she would have stopped coming around to bother him all the time, and they could finally be what they were supposed to be; rivals. Bitter, hateful, fight- until- the- end- rivals. Then again, Tina never did things his way.

"I like you because you're honest. You don't pretend to like anyone, and you speak your mind about things. Lots of other people will do things like lie to spare someone's feelings, or get roped into doing something they don't want to for one reason or another. But you don't do that. You tell the truth even if it hurts someone because you know they need to hear it, and you never let _anyone_ push you around. And that's just he beginning," she said.

If Jamie were to be truthful, he would have to say he was shocked. Though Jamie had plenty of confidence in himself, he'd rarely ever heard anyone else compliment him. His anger began to melt away, and he found himself wanting to hear more. He also found that he didn't care if it were coming from Tina. Strangely, it felt like hearing her say those things about him made Jamie understand Tina more, and even more strange was the fact that he actually wanted to know more now. She had never seemed so mature before, and it was a refreshing change. _'Maybe there's more to her than I think... just maybe.'_

"You're also a hard worker. I've heard that you only moved here a few years ago, and yet you've become so successful so fast. You built your farm from the ground up - literally! I'm sure you know this, I mean you talk about how great of a rancher you are constantly, but even though it can get annoying-"

He twitched. _'Did __**she **__just call __**me **__the annoying one?'_

"- I think it says a lot about how assiduous and dedicated you are. Oh, and if we're talking dedication, there's the whole thing with the Harvest Goddess! I mean, if you're not talking about your ranch, you're talking about her. Your whole reason for staying here is to help her, because you care about her and revere her that much. For all of your venom, I think the fact that you're so religious is a huge indicator of the kind of person you are. And even though I haven't figured that out, well... I'd like to try," she finished softly.

By now, Jamie actually felt himself blushing. _'No one... No one's ever said __**anything**__ like that to me...' _He looked up from the spot on the ground his eyes were glued to, and tried to stomach looking at his rival. The sun was almost gone from the sky now, and purple and blue twilight colored the sky. A few, faint stars began to emerge, and crickets began to chirp.

"Tha-... That's really nice and all," he said, trying to make his voice sound firm or irritated but only coming out small and soft. For a moment, Tina allowed herself to believe she had finally gotten through to him.

"But I dont think you get. For one, I don't like you. You said you valued the fact that I didn't pretend to like anyone, well good. Because honestly, I don't like you. You're annoying, you're a second- rate farmer, and most importantly... You're my rival. I don't want anything to do with you besides competing, and I expect it to stay that way."

The space between them, while only a few feet, now felt like a mile, and the cool night air was so quiet it was almost defeaning.

Finally the reticence was broken as the soles of Jamie's boots crunched against the soil and he picked up his things, put his poncho back on over his shirt, and walked away. He didn't bother to look back, but if he did, he would have seen the forlorn look on Tina's face.

When he finally got back home, Jamie was too tired to even check on his animals. The whole experience of the day had just drained him, and not even a hot shower seemed to help. As he lay there in bed that night, scenes from the day replayed in his mind on a loop.

What if she didn't take him seriously this time? What if she kept bothering him until he died? _'I don't like her. I really don't, but...'_ he flopped over on his other side, trying to sort out his thoughts. The notion of having a closer relationship with Tina filled him with dread, but when he remembered all those things she'd said about him, he couldn't help but feel... What was it he was feeling? Was he really happy about it? It was hard to accept it, but he knew deep down that he was. Part of him felt that because he didn't like her, it was stupid to be so worked up about something she'd said. After all, she was just his dumb rival. Why should he put any stock in anything she says? He flipped back over to his previous side and sighed. _'But then again,'_ he realized with a small smile,_ 'even idiots can have opinions, right? And I suppose... if she's so set on admiring me, I can't really stop her. She can be pretty headstrong-' _here he yawned, finally feeling sleepy, _'-when she wants to...'_

Tina, meanwhile, was tossing and turning herself, but found no relief. After trying to be strong for so long, she started to belive, for the first time, that maybe being friends with Jamie really was impossible, like everyone else in Flower Bud had said.

JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT/JT

Good Lord, that was so much longer than I though it would be! Well, like usual, I'm pretty happy with this chapter, but I'll probably change my mind in two days. :P

Please review! I really appreciate it! Seriously, I feel so depressed when I get no reviews.

**Edit: Never, ever, EVER write half of a chapter past 11:00 p.m.! Goodness, the errors I put in here made my eyes burn when I read it this morning just to make sure. Oh, and I had to fix a few holes in the dialouge that didn't make sense, because I once again wrote half of this in the middle of the night.**

Anyway, I also forgot to mention that the name "Vesperus Basai Stone" does not belong to me. It belongs to the writer Ivy-Green on potionsandsnitches, and I just kinda borrowed it for a second there. She wrote a great story called "Where Once Was Light" for Harry Potter! Go check it out if you have the time, she's a way better writer than me. :D


	4. Lazy Days

ERR MAH GAWRSH, NUU CHYAPTURR! Expect all chapters to be significantly shorter from now on. :P Also, changing up the old plot just a bit.

* * *

Spring 25th

_"And now for the weather!"_ Jamie leaned out of the doorframe of his bathroom and peered at the TV.

_"Well, John, it should be sunny in the southern region for the remainder of the day, with the high being 87 degrees and the low being 84 degrees. Up to the northern region, we've got some clouds coming in..." _chirped the cheery brunette on the weather channel. The farmer turned back to his bathroom sink, pulled the toothbrush from his mouth, and spit.

As Jamie's feet padded softly against his carpet, the muted voices of the TV became louder.

_"In other news, another reported sighting of the infamous Phantom Skye has taken place in Mineral Town, and locals are saying-"_

The television set made a small _plink_ as Jamie turned it off, already hearing what he needed to hear.

He slipped his poncho over his head and whistled for his dog. "C'mon, Calvervtutrp! I'm leaving now, so you'd better get here before I lock you in all day."

Calvervtutrp whined softly from the comfort of Jamie's bed, but got up nonethless.

With a click of the lock behind him, Jamie made his way to his crops. Soon enough, he got lost in the monotony of his daily work, and the sun climbed higher into the sky. Everything was going fine. Perfect, actually. The cows were happy, the crops were growing exactly as planned, and almost all of his chickens were now giving golden eggs.

So why, then, could Jamie not shake the feeling that something was off? He stood back up from where he knelt, pulling a weed from the ground, and his vision fell on the river to the west. _'Of course... She hasn't bothered me today,' _he realized.

Not that he was concerned or anything. His rival was such a bother that it really made a day all the more better if she just left him alone. But as it dawned on him that he hadn't seen her in not one day, but quite a few, he couldn't help but wonder for the reason behind the sudden absence. She couldn't have quit the farming business already, could she? No, impossible; if she'd quit, the town would be in an uproar. Perhaps she was sick? It was rare, but every now and then a person could get sick and be out for as long as two weeks. Even so, it was hard to imagine someone as energetic as Tina falling ill and being incapacitated for so long.

_'And with that stubborn attitude towards her farm, it's doubtful that anything but death could keep her from work,'_ he snorted. Didn't Alex once mention that she'd even fainted while trying to chop a tree down in one go on her first try? "Idiot..." he mumbled.

And it seemed that she never learned from her mistakes, so it was completely possible that she'd gone and overworked herself again. But he really wasn't worried. The thought of such reckless stupidity merely disgusted him, that was all.

Looking at the sky over him, Jamie couldn't help but think that it was another perfect day for fishing. And he _had _been meaning to ship some fish for a while. And it had been _so long _since he'd gone fishing in the west river... And there _were_ always plenty of Yamame in said river...

So, with these perfectly logical reasons that were not, in any way, emotionally influenced, Jamie went back into his home and prepared for a fishing break.

* * *

In the end, he decided to fish at the northern end of the river, at the base of the waterfall that fell from the cliff. The farther he was from his rival's house, the better. _'Out of sight, out of mind,' _he reasoned. As he walked down the path that lead to the bridge, he couldn't help but glimpse at Tina's house. Everything was just so tiny- the land, the house, and the patch of crops struggling to grow.

Jamie was about to keep on walking towards the bridge when something in her window caught his eye. Sitting on her kitchen table was none other than the old box they'd pulled out of the lake the last time he saw her.

It wasn't really a surprise that she'd kept the smelly thing. Jamie knew enough about Tina to know that when she said she'd do something, she would do it or die trying. He'd seen it in the effort she put into working each day, running from place to place, and Jamie grudgingly admitted that it was an admirable trait.

Even still, putting it on the table? Most people would just put something like that in their closet and forget about it. He shook his head and kept walking. Really, what business of his was it if she wanted to keep trash where she ate?

After finally reaching the waterfall and casting a line, time seemed to not pass at all. Jamie seemed to always have that problem; no matter how many fish he caught, it all just moved so _slow_. The sound of water rushing and trees rustling in the wind melted into the silence, and he found himself spacing out every now and then. It was sort of a weakness for Jamie. He was always an impatient person, and his mind tended to wander when he wasn't occupied.

His thoughts, however, were always centered on important things, like estimating how much money he would make that day, devising plans for staying in first place at all the festivals, and which note to get next. Not that he'd even gotten a note in a while, which was troubling. After all, he'd been doing everything right. He had a successful farm, he won every competition, and he shipped more of anything than anybody. So why was it that he'd gotten 34 and then stopped? There had to be more notes than that, or else the Goddess would be back by then. What stumped him even more was that his rival seemed to be attracting notes like honey attracted flies. It was highly unlikely that Tina would ressurect the Goddess before he did, but still, knowing that Tina was making such quick progress wasn't a comforting thought.

An eternity of throwing useless Daces and Rainbow Trouts in between a few Yamame back into the river passed, and Jamie decided it was time to leave. It was getting late, and he still needed to put his animals back in before retiring for the night. Walking over the bridge once more, eyes downcast, he heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Hey, Jamie! Jamie, what's up?" He grimaced. _'Ugh. __**Her**__.'_

"What is it now, Pigtails?" he sighed lethargically. She giggled, as peppy and bubbly as ever.

"Well, it's been, like, _forever _since we talked! Where have you been, silly?"

At this, he was almost insulted. 'Where have you been?'- As if _he_ was the one who'd disappeared! He cocked an eyebrow and looked up to meet her eyes. Upon doing so, he noticed she was covered in random splotches of dirt, her hair was a mess, and she was knee- deep in her crops. The cherry blossom tree that used to be in the corner of her land was now a jagged stump.

"Where have _I_ been? You're the one who didn't show up for the Horse Race or Flower Festival. And so what if we haven't 'talked' in a while? Talking to someone I hate would just be a waste of time," he sneered.

Now it was her turn to be smug. "First off, I _was _at the Horse Race. I guess you just didn't see me. Secondly, it's true that I wasn't at the Flower Festival either, but I was... um... busy. And thirdly, you're talking to me right now, aren't you?"

He immediately stiffened, pink dusting his cheeks. "Well- I just wanted to know what was keeping my rival from competing with me!" he snapped, forgetting to ask what she was so 'busy' with.

Tina smiled knowingly, and Jamie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. "Ah, I see," she purred like the cat that had caught the canary. "So you were _worried_ about me, weren't you?"

He crossed his arms and looked away, blush deepening. "N-no way, stupid! I told you, I only care about pummeling you in competition!"

"Mhm," she quipped, obviously not believing it. Infuriated, Jamie swung his hands to his sides and balled his fists. "And another thing! The Swimming Festival is on the first day of Summer, so you'd better be ready! If you try hard enough, you might just make second place," he smirked.

"Awww, counting down the days 'till you'll see me again? How sweet! I'll be sure and practice extra hard _just_ for you," you oozed.

"Aaaaughhh!" he cried, spinning on his heels and stomping home. _'Stupid me and my big mouth, stupid Pigtails, stupid, stupid, stupid!'_ he raved, now completely red.

Back in her own yard, Tina couldn't help but laugh. All of a sudden, her bout of insecurity over befriending Jamie seemed ridiculous. Jamie was always saying harsh things he never meant, and she berated herself for not knowing any better than to believe them.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she went inside and rummaged through her things in search of her swimsuit.

* * *

Wow, this took a whole 3 days to write! But I think I'm getting better. Like, I can actually see an improvement in my skills... I think.

I hope you like the shorter chapters, because they'll probably all be like this from now on, unless it's a really important point in the plot. I don't wanna make things too long, you know?

Reviews make me do a happy dance!


	5. Panic! At The Beach Festival (Part One)

Gosh, finally! College has kept me so busy. You wouldn't believe just how many little things there are to be done. Anyways, I've finally caught a break, and hopefully it'll stay like that for a bit longer. I know, I know, it's been almost 4 months since the last update, and I wish I could've gotten back sooner.

But the good thing is that one: my Eng 101 class is helping me a lot with writing skills, and my classes will end somewhat early in Dec so hopefully I'll get more stuff done around Christmas.

Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

_Everything was blue. All around him, as though someone had placed a filter over his eyes. But then there was something else, reaching down in soft tendrils. Was that light? He tried to reach it, but his arms could barely move. His brain and eyes became clouded, and he felt himself falling farther and farther from the light. Unable to hold on any longer, he closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness._

_Suddenly something grabbed onto his arm and yanked. His body twisted sideways, and even with renewed vigor to open his eyes it was possibly the most difficult thing he'd ever done. As he finally managed to, he could see the light getting closer with each second. Everything began to shake and ripple in his vision, and the light danced in blinding waves. Muffled voices shouted out, but why, he did not know. The bright light ahead was now dangerously close, and the voices got louder._

_The last thing he could remember was the light filling his vision._

**~Summer 1st~**

Jamie jolted awake in his bed, covered in a cold sweat. "Ugh," he sighed, "Good Goddess…"

In glowing read numbers, the digital clock on his night stand read 2:17. No longer caring about the weirdly chilling nightmare and instead worrying about getting back to sleep, he flopped down onto his bed once more and closed his eyes. He would worry about the strange dream in the morning, after his work was done. If he even remembered it by then, that is. He expected not to. He _hoped_ not to.

He did. Somehow, the grouchy farmer had managed to fall back asleep but the nightmare still plagued his thoughts as he tossed and turned, bits and pieces flashing by in his mind. The morning came and went by in carefully structured routine. Like most festival days, Jamie would wake up earlier than usual (which was early to begin with), quickly and efficiently completing his work with time to spare before the celebrating began.

A shower, bathing suit, and sunblock application later, Jamie sat on the shores of Flower Bud's beach, away from the crowd. He did the same thing every year; waited for the swimming match, and went home once it was over whether he won or not. The first two times he won, he stayed to gloat, but soon realized that basking in the glory wasn't worth it if it meant listening the uneducated drivel of the townsfolk. So since then, he'd just come and go, and the townspeople got used to it pretty quickly. Most of the townsfolk chalked it up to Jamie's reclusive personality and thought no more about it.

Jamie didn't win every year, much to his chagrin. In fact, last year he'd lost to Alex, which wasn't so bad. Alex, while being as simple and trusting as the rest of the village, was a doctor. That had to count for something, didn't it? Medical school isn't really something just anyone can do. Keeping that in mind, Jamie was a little less cold with the doctor, and the two had eventually developed a friendship.

Glancing over to the crowd, he saw the new bakery's waitress arrive, along with the owner. _'What were their names? Calvin and Carrie or something?'_ he wondered. Whatever the case, the two were grinning and laughing, obviously enjoying their first Flower Bud Summer Festival. The guy was wearing a simple pair of black trunks and a t-shirt, seemingly due to modesty if his blushing at the girl's pointing to his chest and teasing tone were anything to go by. Unlike him, the girl was wearing what looked like a very expensive bikini, very pink and covered in intricate designs. She was tossing her hair and noisily chatting with Ellen and Maria as they marveled at it.

The pink color jogged his memory though, and he suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen his rival since the 28th. They hadn't really spoken, just passed each other on their ways in and out of the mine. Pigtails miraculously had said that she didn't have time to talk, though she still gave him a huge smile and an annoying wave goodbye as he walked back to his home. _'I should've asked her if she remembered to practice for today. Probably forgot all about it, irresponsible little—'_

"There you are Jamie!"

Speak of the devil. And right behind him so he couldn't see her creeping up, the cheeky monkey!

"I've been looking all over for you, silly! Why are you all the way over here, away from everybody?"

He stood up and brushed the sand from his swimming trunks. Why he expected to see her in normal clothing, he didn't know. Her bathing suit was actually very simple, just a pink one- piece with a few squares outlined in blue and yellow on the side. To complement the colors, a blue hairband held one pigtail while a yellow one held the other, with pink sandy flip flops on her feet. Try as he might, he couldn't help the small jerk back of his head. Too bad she noticed.

"Heehee! I take it you like it," she taunted smugly. He could've gagged. Pigtails, _attractive_? In what universe? Giving her his best disgusted sneer, he looked her up and down again, this time with obvious distaste.

"Don't kid yourself, idiot. Anybody would flinch seeing those spaghetti arms and legs for the first time. And are you _trying_ to look like a child? I mean, most women wouldn't still be wearing something like that at your age. …You _are_ an adult, right?" he finished, actually letting some of his curiosity bleed through. He'd always known that Tina had to be at least 18 or so; the mayor wouldn't let her take a farm on if she were any younger. Still, he never could figure out just how old she was. For all he knew, she could be some 30 year old who just had a really young face, or surgery. Maybe now that he'd gotten her riled up, she would tell him. _'Well, looks like this'll work out nicely.'_

"Ugh! Jamie, you're despicable!" she pouted. Shaking it off, she relaxed and casually crossed her arms, the insults sliding off of her. "Well whatever, nothing new. I also came over here to tell you that the race is starting soon, and we're supposed to go over to the starting point so Mayor Theodore can tell us the rules and stuff."

'_You mean to tell me the guy that's halfway across this tiny beach can't just yell for me or something?'_ Jamie griped to himself. Where was Theodore anyways, and why wouldn't he just come get Jamie himself? Surely he couldn't be so busy that he had to send the rookie farmer girl on errands. He would have to ask about it later; the race was starting, and he'd be a fool if he let himself get distracted by such little things. Tina had already started trudging ahead, talking with Ann and Nina about what he could only guess were boring girly things.

'_I never did get to figure out how old she was,' _he noticed. He walked on in silence for a little more, trying to concentrate on the upcoming race. _'Wonder who's competing this year? Same old guys, probably. Let's see, I almost had it last year if it weren't for Alex being on that super health kick…'_

Ahead, Tina began laughing even louder than before, pushing Ann and telling her to "get out" for some odd reason. Sometimes, Jamie wondered if there was ever a time where she wasn't laughing and giggling like a kid. The pigtails really didn't help, either.

'… _Damn it, this age thing is gonna bother me the whole time, isn't it?'_

Theodore's booming, jovial voice recited the rules of the match as Jamie approached the starting line. It wasn't like they'd needed them anyway: "No pushing, no pulling on anyone's limbs, no purposefully splashing anyone, no taunting, no taking anyone's swimsuit off, no fighting," and it went on and on. You get the picture. Basically, play nice, and no one in town ever had problems with that.

Tina stood next to him in line, doing a few last minute stretches. "You'd better prepare yourself Jamie," she grunted with a smirk, "Because today, I'm taking first place!"

"Please! Heh, _I'm _going to come in first, not _you. _Why don't you go home before you drown?"

Without giving Tina the chance to say any more, the shrill ring of Theodore's whistle sounded. The entire line of swimmers: Bob, Blue, Alex, Kurt, Joe, Ann, Carl, Eve, and of course, Jamie and Tina surged into the waves and each swam for one of the colorful bobs.

Jamie was doing quite well so far. Unlike the rest of the competitors, who were more concerned with socializing the entire race, was completely focused on winning. Thinking only of reaching the end before anyone else, before Tina, he ignored the sounds around him. At first, it was really only silly things. "I felt you tugging on my bikini, pervert! Quit it!" "Geez Carl, I never had you pegged as the athletic type!" Everything he was hearing went in one ear and out the other. As he approached his third bob, the green one, the only sound that mattered was the splashing of the sea as he trashed his legs and arms through it.

If only he had been a little more attentive about what was around him. Perhaps then, the coming disaster could've been averted.

After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the tips of his fingers brush against the bob. Victory was so close he could almost feel it; so close, he thought he could hear them cheering him on. No wait, that was wrong. They never cheered like that for him before, so what was…?

And then he heard it, and his blood froze in his veins.

"… I said she's _drowning,_ Joe! Get Bob, help me find her, we lost her under the waves—Quick, hurry! HELP! SOMEONE_, HELP_!"

Eyes darting all around the water, he found the source of the screaming. Kurt was waving his arms above him, shaky and pale. This had to be bad, really bad—Kurt was always a rock of calm, but he sounded absolutely desperate now. It was one of the worst sounds Jamie had ever heard in his life.

Who could be drowning? They said "she". The only girls swimming in the race were Ann, who he almost immediately spotted at the shoreline, running for the mayor, and Eve… But then he saw her, bursting out of the water and grabbing onto the yellow buoy. "I don't see her," she panted frantically with a flip of her lemon hair; "I can't find her!"

'_Oh Dear Goddess… **Tina**!'_

* * *

_BOOM! SURPRISE CLIFFHANGER! _:D Muahaha! I did this on a whim. Don't worry; the next part will be out very soon, and this time I mean it. Enjoy the suspense.

In reality, I just don't want this to be too long. So what do you guys think? Have I improved?

Happy Harvesting!

-Aerois


	6. Panic! At The Beach Festival (Part Two)

Heehee! Did you doubt me when I said it'd be soon? Only two weeks or so, right? But God it feels like it's been way longer. I'm done for the next week or so because I got off for Thanksgiving. I have to warn you, there won't be anything after this probably for a few more weeks. My finals end on Dec. 12th, so I probably won't do anything till after then. Try and hang on and _wish me luck on the finals! _ :D

In other news, my next semester should be hard, but pretty awesome. **Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all!** Wrote this back on Tues, but didn't have time to proofread and fix until today. Hope your turkey is delicious and your stuffing isn't dry. :P

Announcer voice: **Previously, on "Upside Down…"**

* * *

'_Oh Dear Goddess… __**Tina**__!'_

From that moment, time seemed to have slowed down. _'Tina's drowning. Tina's drowning, dear Goddess, Tina's drowning,' _the words looped through his head monotonously, over and over again each time he dived down into the salty waves. The water burned like fire in his eyes, but what were bloodshot eyes compared to a dead rival?

_Dead._ Goddess, just thinking about her being dead—it was too much. He shoved it down into some dark place in his heart. Amidst his panic, the scene refused to play. Gasping in another huge breath, he plunged into the water once more. The burning in his eyes had stopped registering in his brain at this point. How long had it been? It seemed like it'd been hours. It shouldn't take this long. _'She's just one girl…'_ he thought dimly as he wrestled with a patch of sea algae. Not here. Not there. He didn't need someone to tell him; time was running out, and fast.

By the time he came up again, the commotion seemed to have left the water. Spectators and participants alike were all crowding towards the water's edge as Bob, soaking wet, dragged Tina out of the sea and into his arms. Alex was running towards him, still in his swimming trunks, legs covered in sand. Without a moment to spare, Ann came stumbling full speed down the cobbled road with a black bag adorned with a white cross on it, and hoisted it over to him. Jamie swam to the beach faster than he'd ever swam in his entire life, adrenaline bursting through his veins. He cursed himself for not being one of the first there. For not being the one who found her.

Then Bob laid Tina out on the ground, and the doctor was waving the people away. Maria was sobbing into her father's shirt, and the poor mayor was torn between comforting his daughter and thinking of anything to help the doctor. As Bob took a step back, face contorted with distress, Jamie was finally able to see her.

What he saw didn't even look like Tina. Her trademark pigtails had been yanked halfway out and littered with sea trash, the ribbons untied. On her face were creases and lines that shouldn't be there until she was forty- _'If she'll live that long,'_ and he shudders that his own mind could conceive a comment so dark. Unlike every other day, when she's strong and shining, she's stopped. She is limp like a doll, and she is still like—like death.

But that wasn't even the worst of it all. More disturbing than anything was her skin, almost blue. From head to foot, she was so inhumanly pale. It was so _wrong; _she was always so bright, even if it annoyed him.

Before him, the doctor takes her pulse. Years of training and experience have drilled in him the ability to stay utterly calm, and the various medical techniques come as easily as blinking to him. A life depends on it in every emergency, and he summons the courage to abandon his own fears and instead think of nothing but how to save the breathless girl at his knees. It's difficult, because usually the patient is someone he's never met before. The patient is just a patient; it's not the sweet girl with a Cheshire grin who knows just how he and Martha like their tea.

Wasting no time, he begins CPR. It's a rigorous process of pushing on her chest, almost to a tempo, and trying to breathe air in her. Back and forth, the Doctor goes between the two and Tina's only movement is from the impact of Alex's arms pumping down on her. Having dropped to his knees at her feet since before the Doctor began, Jamie feels helpless.

Of all the things he'd ever bragged about, everything he could do perfectly, what did he know about saving anyone? The notion of needing to save someone other than himself never even seemed considerable. He knew how to take care of himself. He thought he knew how to save the Goddess, though not so much recently. Not really, since he'd met _her_.

Maybe she wasn't very smart. Maybe she was weak, and a crybaby. Maybe she couldn't run a ranch, much less do anything to save her life—her _own_ life. But she knew how to save others didn't she? Those strange, elusive notes, the key to freeing the Goddess, flocked to her like birds. Yes, saving and helping others was a natural talent. Others saving her though… Could the same be said?

'_What if she really did die?' _he thought, finally letting the worry surface. What would he do? Life before was quiet, it was simple, it made sense. She swept in and disrupted everything, but he quickly got used to the idea of having a rival. Each day was another day to compete, a goal to work towards. He had hoped that maybe someday, this rivalry would throw them in a race to revive the Goddess. He had hoped that he would have the chance of being the one to wake the beautiful deity, and lord it over Tina until who knew when. And a part of him, the tiniest part, was really hoping to know what it would be like to have someone with him in this journey, even if they weren't friends. That might not happen now. What _would_ happen? To be totally alone was something that never scared him before. What had changed? Since the beginning, he never doubted that he disliked this strange girl.

'_But you just had to be absolutely terrible to her, didn't you?' _his mind seethed. _'You just had to go out of your way to insult her every chance.' _Each time she had suggested their rivalry be a good sported thing, he'd scoffed at her. How dare she undermine the seriousness of the situation?! Without fail, he'd always shot her down because it seemed so childish, so pointless to get along. If the objective was the save the Goddess, there was no use or time for making fond memories.

And it was then, when he saw her frail body in front of him that he finally understood. Sure, they could work until they woke the Goddess, and sure, they could spend every free moment constantly trying to one- up each other. For their whole lives, they could be caught in a battle of who was better. But someday—someday, when they were old and maybe senile, what would matter? What would be left? What was the _point_ of it all? Just to be better than one person, or even the whole world, at what he did? There were bragging rights, and there was money. But bragging would get old after a while, and money was something anyone could make.

There _was_ no point, not if there was nothing to really look back on. _'You are an __**idiot**__!' _he screamed at himself.

Competing was fine. Trying to always beat the other? That was fine too. But what mattered in a rivalry was what you made of it. The things you learned about life, and how you grew. How it made you a better _person, _not how it made you just _better. _Why couldn't he see this before?

Without warning, the words he'd last said to her echoed through his mind. _"Why don't you go home before you __**drown**__?" _He gasped aloud, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him. The the cruelness of fate made him tremble in cold fear. _'I- I really said that, didn't I? What the hell is wrong with me?!' _Swallowing the bitter taste of bile, he willed himself not to get sick. He couldn't leave her side, not yet.

Alex was still performing CPR, and the townspeople were getting even more anxious. He was almost starting to forget the sound of her voice. _'Goddess… is this some kind of punishment?'_ Tina was so still, so lifeless. _'Make it stop. Just move. Wake up, speak, **something**!'_

Tears of genuine sadness welled up in his eyes for what may have been the first time in years. Now he was shivering and breathing erratically but he didn't care. Desperately, he clung to the hope that he could see those dark brown eyes one more time. Apologize, too; that would be the first thing he did. For the short time he had known her, he treated her terribly. Even if they would never be friends, he had to make things right.

'_Please, Goddess… I don't know if you can hear me,' _he was sobbing now, but who wasn't? _'Just don't do this, don't take her yet. Don't punish her for what I've done wrong! Spare her, give me one more chance. Please!'_

Almost instantaneously, she gave a wet gasp. The tension in the air fizzled out immediately as the crowed sighed, and Alex thrust her upright. Tina coughed and spluttered, retching up what seemed to be liters of ocean water.

Relief came crashing down on Jamie so hard he had to fight the urge to faint right then and there. "Thank you," he whispered to the ground. "Thank you so much!"

She was still pale, but looked so much better than just moments before. Those eyes, _'Those dark brown eyes!'_ locked with his. Jamie had never been happier to see them, and crawled to her side so she wouldn't look away, not even for a moment.

"Tina!" was all he could manage through the tears. He meant to say, "Thank Goddess you're alright!" or "I thought you were dead! I was so worried!" but the words wouldn't come out. She knew what he meant though; he could see it in her eyes. Just like always, she smiled. It was a small, weak smile, but somehow he knew she'd be okay the moment he saw it.

"My… name…" she rasped. The Doctor laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Tina, don't exert yourself! Rest for now, you can talk to him later, okay? Let's get you to the clinic now—"

But she would have none of his protests. Tina was that kind of girl; she'd say what she wanted, when she wanted. Shakily, she raised her hand up. Jamie immediately grasped it, searching her face with baited breath. "What…?"

"You said… my name. You've—never… done that be.. before…"

More tears spilled over his face, this time happy ones. "Y-you idiot…" he muttered. Slowly, she blinked and turned to the sky. "Tired…" she mumbled, and curled up into the Doctor's arms.

"Well, I guess you would be tired, you almost drowned!" Alex cried. Giving up, as she was already asleep, he rose to his feet. "Jamie, can you give me a hand? Wrap her up in some towels, make sure she's warm. And Bob, I don't think I can carry her all the way to the clinic, can you?"

Ann, who had quickly become Tina's best friend, wrung her hands beside Bob, the look on her face explaining what words couldn't. Alex sighed, and waved her over as Jamie busied himself with wrapping Tina up behind him.

"Ann, you're going to follow us anyway I assume, so just come along and talk to Tina and keep her company when she wakes." The redhead beamed, and ran right to Bob's side. "I can do that! Thanks so much, Alex!"

Jamie sensed a shadow looming over him, and looked up to see Bob's beefy figure obscuring the sun. "Don't sweat it Jamie, I've got her now." For a moment, he thought about not giving her to him. What if something happened to her again?

"_Why don't you go home before you __**drown**__?"_

Without another second of hesitation, he handed her over to the shipper. Shame, and worst of all guilt, crept into him. He didn't deserve the responsibility of taking care of her. Bob was the one who found her. And who was he? He was he one who told her she could drown for all he cared.

* * *

Whoo! Well, that was a doozy. Wasn't too happy with how it started, but I liked it more as it went on. Hopefully you guys will too. This story arc isn't quite over yet, Tina still hasn't recovered. Even after that, this will still affect the story for a long time. You can expect it to get to everyone, though Jamie and Tina will still be the main focus.

I hope you guys liked the name thing, too. I wanted the first time he called her by name be a big deal. Did you like the heaps and heaps of irony?

Shoutout to all my reviewers: AshRB, WooliesRfluffy, PurpleSweets13, DanicaMcGee, Miss Delirium, and last but not least, PINKDIAMOND4000. You guys have been so supportive! Thanks a ton. :D

Happy Harvesting!

Aerios.


	7. Get Well Soon, Idiot

I can't believe it took me so long to do this. Y'know, I was thinkin', okay I'mma get this done by at least the 20th. Like I would be able to fit a new chapter in before Christmas. Nope! Gosh, I'm sorry guys. But now that the holidays are over, I'm hoping to get at least 2 or three more chapters out. This chapter doesn't really have much going on, a little plot development and I'm wrapping up this part of the story. I'll get back to the fluff and comedy soon. I'm still kinda all over the place with how I want this to pan out, but it'll all end the same.

I gotta say, I wanted them to start becoming friends at this point, but **SPOILER ALERT** Jamie won't budge. I'm not gonna be like J.K. Rowling though, and just force my characters into what I want. If they want to write their own destiny, all I can do is guide them through it! Enjoy.

* * *

'_She almost died… I almost watched someone die…' _Jamie thought as he began to absently dry a load of dishes. A picture of her sprawled on the beach, nearly lifeless, flashed through his mind and he shivered.

Ever since the shocking incident from earlier that day, Jamie had been trying to busy himself with random, meaningless tasks. It was just too much to think about, knowing that the house she lived in was dark and empty now. It just didn't make any logical sense; Tina couldn't be the one that had almost drowned. She couldn't be the one who was lying in some stiff bed in a hospital in the city, IV's hooked up to her arms and being tended to by strangers, because Alex's tiny little clinic didn't have what was needed to treat her.

With a sigh, he turned to his door and grabbed his rucksack. Someone would have to water her crops while she was gone, he suddenly realized. As he stepped over the threshold, he looked to the sky. "Get well soon, idiot…" he murmured.

Meanwhile, the rest of the town was just as frazzled, some even more so. Ann and Blue, after hearing an ambulance had come to take Tina to a city hospital, raced to Hank and begged to borrow his truck. Within an hour, the two along with Nina, Maria, Katie, and Kurt and Joe riding in the truck bed tore through the bumpy dirt road in hot pursuit. Alex was busy on the phone with the hospital doctors, giving them all the necessary information from Tina's medical file with a promise that the mayor's daughter would be coming by personally to deliver it.

Bob was currently swamped with news reporters from the city's local channel. Originally, a small team had been sent to capture the Swimming Festival's games and fun, which they did every year to promote tourism in Flower Bud. However, after Channel 8 got close-up footage of Bob's heroic rescue, the burly shipper quickly became an instant sensation. Now three news teams from surrounding towns were clamoring around him as he sat in the bar, trying to tell his story while excited journalists peppered him with seemingly endless questions.

A young man around Tina's age with short blonde hair, a sweater-vest, and plaid high-waters sporting a serious expression edged through the crowd, pen and notepad in hand. "Mr. Connor," the boy inquired, "When you realized that Ms. Tina Fitzgerald was drowning, what made you jump in after her? Is she a close friend of yours?"

Bob blinked, not sure how to answer at first. "Well, uh… She's a friend, sure, but we're not actually very close. Tina's new here, you see, though most everybody likes her," He smiled. "But I dunno, I just… When I heard someone was drowning, I just did it on instinct, I guess. It's a small town, so we're all closer to each other than people in the city would be. And besides, it's the right thing to do. I couldn't just let someone get hurt, knowing there was something I could do to help!" The young man looked very impressed, and turned back to the camera as Bob tried not to blush at the sudden surge in the crowd's enthusiasm. "What a guy!" one man cheered. "…Truly a brave individual, it calls to mind that…" narrated a woman.

The young blond nodded at the camera in front of him with a smile. "And there you have it, Castanet. Bob Connor- a big man with an even bigger heart. Gill Hamilton, reporting live from Flower Bud. Back to you, Elli."

Once he was at Tina's fledgling ranch, Jamie couldn't help but shake his head at the sorry state her crops were in. Even with the soil on her land being so fertile, she still couldn't grow good produce. It was a small lot to begin with, and could barely fit half of the crops he planted. He'd have to have a word with her about what she was doing to them; how often she watered them, if she used fertilizer, and so on. It didn't do his image any good if the only person he considered good enough to be his rival had a sorry excuse for a farm.

'_Humph, it's been an entire season! You'd think in three months she could—"_

_Scratch, scratch, scratch._

The purple-haired farmer lifted his head and looked around. _'What was that noise?'_

_Scratch, scratch, scratch_. There it was again! He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on listening hard. Then he heard another sound; a low, high pitched… _whimper_?

At Tina's back door, Mocha lifted a stubby paw and swiped at the door again. Jamie briskly paced to said door and tried the handle. _'Locked, of course. Of all the sane, safe things she actually has presence of mind to do, it has to be the one that ends up harming a defenseless animal.'_

He huffed, rolled his sleeves back, and began feeling around the back door for a spare key. Mocha, who had spotted Jamie hovering outside the window, began pawing even more frantically.

"Geez, hold on, mutt! I'm going as fast as I can, it's not my fault if your idiot can't take care of you properly!" But it wan't really the case, and he knew it. She had probably planned on letting him out later, when she got home that day. Guilt bubbled up and stung him again, but he tried his best to ignore it like he'd been doing the whole day. He sighed to himself for the umpteenth time that night, and halfheartedly tipped over an almost creepy looking gnome with a kick. In the light of the moon, he saw something silver shinning in the dirt, and grabbed for it. It was a key, he noted triumphantly, and he hastily slipped it into the lock and opened the door. The little dog burst into the yard, tail wagging, and ran off towards his favorite tree. When the dog finished taking care of its immediate needs, he scurried back over to the grumpy rancher. With an expectant look in his eyes, he sat down obediently, tail wagging.

"Quit staring at me like that! What do you want?" He snapped, but he took in the innocent, hopeful look in the dog's eyes and it suddenly clicked; he's waiting for his master to return. _'How long have you been waiting?' _he wondered with a pang of pity.

"Look… she didn't mean to leave you for so long. She got a little hurt, but she'll be back soon." This seemed to do nothing but excite the dog more, and his tail wagged even more furiously. Whimpering, it shifted nervously on its front paws. Jamie scowled and backed away, hoping the dog wouldn't jump on him and spread muddy prints on his perfectly good pants.

"No, quit it with that, I've got nothing for you! She's not here, and she won't be back now no matter how much you whine." And somehow, the desperate plea in Mocha's eyes became even more intense, and Jamie had a hard time leveling a glare at the furry ball of energy. "Ugh, you're so impossible!" He cried, finally tearing his eyes away from the dog. "Stop _looking _at me like that. Why are you all worked up over nothing? Can't you see she's not here? Jeez, you're just like her!" Having had enough of the dog and deciding it was time for him to go home, Jamie marched over to the door and yanked it open.

"Now scram and get in there, dog!" Mocha turned his head, tongue lolling and dripping with saliva. The irritated rancher put a hand to his forehead and massaged his temples in a vain attempt to soothe his growing headache. _'How dumb can a dog possibly be?'_

"Listen, it's not that difficult. _Inside_ is where you sleep. Right now, _you_ are _outside_. You need to go to sleep now, because I'm sick of dealing with you, so _go inside."_

"_Woof!" _Mocha replies with what Jamie swore was a smile. Jamie leaned back onto the small house's siding and rubbed his eyes. "Why am I trying to reason with a damn dog? Ugh, I give up. Come on, stupid mutt…"

He threw his hopes of going home soon out the window and walked into the dark house. Mocha followed, tail wagging still. Surely, this funny man was going to bring him back to his mama! Mocha decided he liked this strange man, although he wished he didn't yell so much.

* * *

I wanted to go on, but I gotta stop here. It's 1 a.m. and that took longer than expected, and there was just more stuff in here than anticipated. I always do this. Well, it only means that the next chapter should be out later today, or tomorrow!

Actually I always say that, but it doesn't usually turn out that way… Sorry in advance, I guess?

Did you like Gill having a little cameo? I just got Animal Parade recently and I've been going nuts with it! I just like to include other HM towns; I kinda think they're all in the same big world. I'm sure some of you remember me mentioning Skye a few chapters back. :D

**Also, this story finally has over 1,000 hits! It was last chapter, but I forgot to include it. Thank you all so much for your support! I hope this gets better and better as time passes. 3**


	8. An Open Back Door

Got halfway through writing this, and started feeling sick. Turns out I had some kind of virus for a few days. I'm feeling much better now, though, so here we go! A bit more of filler in this chapter, but I hope it's not too big of a let-down. I don't want to jinx myself, but I'll just say that I have nothing planned for tomorrow but staying home, sooo... :)

* * *

The first thing he notices is how small her house is. The back door leads him into her bedroom, a cramped space with a bed, night stand, cabinet, and vanity. All of the furniture is very simple and wood; obviously the cheapest beginner set, most of which came with the house. Clothes and random items he doesn't really care about are strewn about the room, and the bed is wrinkled and unmade.

'_What a slob! But somehow, I'm not surprised,' _he muses. After trying the first door he sees and finding nothing but an equally messy bathroom, he takes the other door and hopes he won't trip on something. Through the door is a kitchen and breakfast area, with room for a small table, and a miniature TV sits on the counter top. It's actually somewhat clean, and a small dog bed sits in a corner, with food and water bowls next to it. Within minutes, Jamie is able to find the dog's bag of food, and gives it enough to last the night and next morning. As the dog begins to dig in with a fervor, Jamie refills the water bowl while he's at it.

And then the phone starts to ring. Scared out of his wits by the sudden loud noise, Jamie jumps and fumbles with the water bowl. Water sloshes all over the floor, but Jamie's not worried about that. The phone rings again.

'_Everyone in town knows what happened to her, so… Wh-who's calling?!'_

With a shaking hand and heart pounding in his ribcage, he swallows and picks up the phone. It takes an eternity for the phone to reach his ear. _ Th-thump. Th-thump. Th-thump._

"He…Hello—?"

"WAZZAAAAAAAP!" bellows a gravelly voice, but it's not on the phone—

'_Oh Dear Goddess he's right behind me!'_

—and Jamie screams as loud as he can, falling to the ground. His first instinct is to run and hide, or find a weapon, but when he hears the laughing and the whooping above him the paralyzing fear melts into red hot anger.

Twisting around, he sees Joe almost doubled over with laughter.

"D-dude!" he gasps, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I had no idea you were so freakin' hilarious! Aaaahahahaha! Oh my Goddess, that was totally awesome!" paying no mind to Jamie's poisonous glare, the hyper fisherman cackles on.

"_JOE!"_ Jamie screams. "What in the _hell_ are you doing?!"

He straightens up and catches his breath. "Wh-what? Oh. That." As Jamie stands and dusts himself off, still furious, Joe wipes away tears of laughter.

"Well Ray and I were fishing on the other side of the river," he explains, "And when we saw that the light in Tina's house was on, we got a little concerned someone might have broken in. But then we realized that any burglar with a brain would probably leave the lights off, and Ray dared me to go scare the pants off of whoever it was. When I saw it was you though, I almost expected you to kill me! Haha! Funny, huh?" he finished, still grinning.

"Oh you'll _wish_ I would have killed you when I'm through with you," Jamie seethes, more wrathful than ever before. Reflexes developed from years of working with sharp objects and fishing skills kick in and Joe starts running just as Jamie lunges forward. The rancher manages to grab a fistful of his vest, but Joe wrenches out of his grip and zips through the open back door and into the night. Too frustrated to care about locking the door, Jamie chases after him, determined to teach the prankster a lesson.

Which is exactly what happens about ten minutes later, as Jamie finally corners Joe near the town square and tackles him. "Aaah!" Joe yelps, "Dude, c'mon, don't kill me! It was all a joke! I'm sorry!"

Completely ignoring him, Jamie pins the fisherman and straddles him. "_This_ will teach you to do something as stupid as sneaking up on me!" he roars, and gives Joe a forceful punch right to the forehead.

"Ooooow! Goddess, man, that _hurt!"_ Joe hissed, face twisted in pain.

"And don't you ever try something stupid like that again, idiot!" he snapped, his voice overlapping Joe's complaint.

Joe opens his mouth to make a snide retort, but before he can say anything the two are interrupted by a high, feminine voice.

"Oh my goodness, what on earth are you two doing?!" gasps Maria. The two young men pause in their scuffle and look to her. Drawing her lips into a thin line, she berates the boys. "I should hope two grown men would know better than to solve things with violence! It's barbaric!" And Jamie recalls her father saying something similar just last month about that huge food fight during the Egg Festival. He remembers Tina covered in all sorts of pastry and mess, and with her in mind his eyes dart between the fisherman beneath him and the librarian.

"Wait a minute," he interjects, "Didn't you guys go off to the city to see about Tina?"

"Get off of him and maybe we'll tell you," Maria states sternly.

Joe pipes up with a scowl, "Yeah, what she said!"

Deciding he can take care of Joe later, because he's sure he hasn't learned his lesson, Jamie begrudgingly stands. "Alright," he grunts, "Spill."

Maria straightens her back and clears her throat. "It's very simple, really. We followed the ambulance to the hospital, where I gave the front desk Tina's medical file. We stayed for a while, but Tina was still unconscious. Visiting hours ended, and the hospital wouldn't allow us to stay overnight because we're not family-"

"Which is totally stupid!" Joe cuts in.

"-so obviously, we came back." Jamie nods, ready to leave after hearing what he needs to, when his line of sight falls to the west end of town. The end of town where Tina's farm is, and her stupid dog, and the lights that have been left on.

"When will she get back?" he asks, hoping they don't get the wrong idea.

This time, it's Joe who answers the question. "The doctors say if she doesn't have any problems overnight, she can be released next afternoon."

Jamie nods again. "That's good," he murmurs, more to himself than the others.

Joe furrows his brow, puzzled that anti-social Jamie would ask so many questions about another person. The cogs turn in his brain, and he grins like a sly fox when the imaginary light bulb in his psyche blinks to life.

"Yo, Jamie," he drawls casually, "Why do you care so much anyway? I thought you didn't like Tina. Or were you just-" Before he can even finish, Jamie cuts him off with an already prepared answer.

"D- don't go making any stupid assumptions!" he barks, unable to stop himself from stuttering. "The longer my _rival _stays cooped up in some hospital, the longer she goes without getting a thrashing from me! It wouldn't do to have her forget her duty as my _rival_, now would it? I can't just sitting here waiting around for her to... to... Ugh, just forget it!" he groans, drained. Maybe he's tired because it's late at night now, and he's usually in bed by then. Maybe it's because he had to spend so much extra energy taking care of Tina's work and her dog, and chase down Joe to beat some sense into him. Maybe it's just the stress and anger that all of it has brought on him.

But it's certainly _not_ because he's worried about Tina. No, there's no way it could be because he simply can't stand thinking about her right now. The words that he's trying to say don't stick in his throat because he knows he doesn't mean them. Confused and too tired to even be properly mad, he turns away from them and hastens off towards his home.

"We're going back in the morning to visit her and find out when she'll be released," Maria says softly, and Jamie pauses. "It's Montgomery General Hospital. She's in room 394. You're welcome to come along, if you want."

His first instinct is to say no; to say that he doesn't care to go all that way just to visit. As long as she'll be back, why should he even waste time with sentimental things like visits? What, did he have to bring flowers, too? But then he flashes back to the way she looked, lying on the sand with blue lips. It occurs to him that he left the lights in her house on, and he left the back door wide open.

"What time are you leaving?" he asks.

* * *

Be honest; how was it? I think I do better writing in present tense. Sorry if that sort of thing throws anyone off. Anyways, I'll get right to the next one! I hope you guys don't find this one too boring. I just think this story would get tedious if it focused purely on Jamie and Tina constantly. It'd be like watching Friends, but only the parts with Rachel and Ross. Sooner or later, we'd get burnt out on it! :P Then again, too much filler is never a good thing...

(Did anyone get the Harry Potter reference?)


	9. An Off-Key Tune

I simply cannot believe this. Well I lost track of the date, and it turns out I was due to go and watch my grandmother this weekend—she can't be left alone or she's liable to injure herself. You know how it is as they get older. Anyways, after a somewhat stressful weekend, I'm back! I've been thinking a lot about how I want this chapter to go. Jamie's still fighting me a bit, but he's coming around on his own. I think the quality of my work's been slipping lately. Hopefully, I'll get back on track.

Also, this chapter will be long. I know most of my readers seem to not like long chapters, but I feel you guys have been waiting too long for this part for it to be short. I'm not sure why I named this chapter what I did, but I feel like it fits the mood, somehow. I try to keep it original.

* * *

So far, Summer 2nd is turning out to be a horrible day. After a stuffy, crowded ride in the back of Hank's truck, the group arrives at Montgomery General Hospital. Jamie mistakenly thinks they're going to walk straight up and go right to Tina's room—not that he's eager to or anything, though. It's only because these fools are all her best friends. Wouldn't they want to see her as soon as possible? Instead, Ann excitedly steers the party into a small gift shop almost as soon as they walk through the sliding glass doors, claiming that they have to bring her at least some flowers and a "Get Well Soon" card. As the girls jabber over what exact card to get her, because they "can't pick up just anything!" according to Nina, Jamie broods by the door near Kurt.

Said woodsman rolls his eyes with a sigh and speaks up, much to Jamie's surprise. "We're gonna be here for an hour at the rate they're going." In spite of himself, Jamie snorts in agreement. "Sounds about right." Neither knows what to say, so they stand quietly. Jamie always appreciated that about Kurt; though he doesn't like him, Jamie has to admit that being around Kurt at least doesn't give him a headache. A few more seconds pass, and Kurt suddenly lurches forward toward a display of glass trinkets.

"Joe, put that down or you'll break it."

"It's fine!" Joe gripes. "Geez, you always treat me like a kid. Look, I've got it right here, see? It's not like it's gonna just jump out of my hands or something if I move it arou—"

_Crash!_

"…Just take it out of my paycheck."

A call to the custodian and a wait through the check-out line later (during which Nina all but forced him to sign the card along with the rest of them), Jamie and company are trying to fit in one elevator. They receive stares from the people around them. Compared to those who live in the city, they are dressed quite strangely. The bright pink of Nina's hair and Jamie's purple locks certainly don't help them blend in. Thankfully, the party doesn't even realize the lingering gazes filled with curiosity, and focuses on getting to room 394.

In the elevator, it is mostly silent save for the soft whoosh of machinery cranking to life. As it glides up and up, past the third and fourth floors, Ann lets out an anxious sigh. She hopes her best friend can come home soon, and be her strong, bubbly self again. The night before when Ann stood vigilant at her side Tina was knocked out the entire time, looking haggard and sick. Having to see her like that for just one night was too much; on this, the entire group of friends agrees.

Meanwhile, Jamie finds himself fiddling with the tassels on his poncho, and tries to convince himself he's just bored. He's not nervous about how she'll react when she sees him again— that maybe she'll remember what he said and not forgive him for it. He's not scared that she'll be covered in bruises, her hair still halfway undone. It's not like he can't get that image out of his mind or anything.

And his heart is most definitely _not_ starting to pound more and more with each floor they get closer to her. Far too soon but long overdue, the elevator hisses to a stop and bounces just a little as it stops on the 5th floor. The door opens and the group steps out with Maria, who remembers exactly where Tina's room is, at the lead. As she walks, her dark hair swishes ever so slightly to the sides. Not one strand is out of place, and combined with her straight shoulders and serious expression, Maria is instantly recognizable to the staff. Though they had only seen the mayor's quiet daughter the night before, she has certainly left an impression of professionalism and maturity. The bluenette stops at the 5th floor desk, and spends a few minutes with the nurses asking questions about release times and how her friend has been doing. The nurse hands her a manila folder, and informs Maria that Tina is doing much better, and is scheduled to be released at noon.

The shy librarian bows gracefully. "Thank you very much."

"Oh you're welcome, honey! You can go right back and see her now, if you like," the nurse replies cheerfully.

"Yes, we'll do just that. Have a nice day," she smiles softly. "You too!" she nods, and resumes work on the computer in front of her as Maria turns to the group. Ecstatic at the knowledge that their friend is coming home soon, the party brightens and starts making plans. Ellen pipes up with the idea that they should spend a day having fun in the city, which the rest of the girls love. Blue, Joe, and Kurt are more preoccupied with trying to decide where they'll at eat lunch, and Jamie is wrapped up in his own thoughts.

_372, 374, 376…_

'_Why the hell am I doing this?' _Jamie groaned to himself. _'Why, oh why, didn't I just stay home and wait for her to come back like the rest of the village? Ugh, what have I gotten myself into? Stupid idiot girl, she just had to go and—and…' _His breath catches in his throat.

Suddenly, he slaps his palm to his face, grimacing, and Joe wonders if he's quite right in the head. '_This is pathetic! I can't even friggin' think about it! Damnit, this is ridiculous. She __**drowned**__, you hear?!'_ Despite knowing that she's perfectly fine and just down the hallway, he feels his stomach twist with dread. He shakes his head, cursing himself for getting carried away over the naïve beginner rancher.

'_For Goddess' sake, get over it…' _Joe, still watching, thinks to ask the curt man what's on his mind, but decides against it. Try as they might, nobody could ever really make sense of Jamie.

_380, 382, 384…_

But if there's one thing Jamie _really_ doesn't want to think about, it's the apology that he knows he owes her.

'_Why don't you go home before you __**drown**__?'_

Will she even remember that strangely prophetic comment? Would she turn a cold shoulder, and bitterly ask him if he was happy to get what he wanted? Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't remember it. But knowing his luck, Jamie surmises that she definitely will, and it's not going to end well.

'_Shit! I can't apologize to her, I suck at things like this! Maybe flowers wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all—but no, she'll get the wrong idea —damn it all, why can't this be simple?!'_

"Here we are, room 394!" chirps Nina happily, but for Jamie it's like a death toll. Jamie freezes, his stomach knotting and he swears he's starting to sweat. Nervously, he clenches his fists and tries to concentrate on keeping a cold scowl on his face.

'_Don't let her pick up on your fear,'_ he lectures himself, ever the cynic. _'You can't leave yourself vulnerable! She'll rip you apart if you don't intimidate her out of trying it!'_

_Knock, knock. _"Tina, are you awake? We came to see you!" Ann calls hopefully.

Almost immediately, the door swings open to reveal none other than the rancher herself. She's wearing what looks to be like her clothes from the other day, or most of them. The jacket, shoes, and bandanna are gone, leaving her in an untucked white shirt and jeans with socks. For the most part, she doesn't even look like she could be a hospital patient, save for the I.V. stuck in her arm and a deeply bruised right knee.

He's not sure about any of the others, but Jamie is utterly shocked. He expected her to at least be sitting in the bed in a hospital gown, but there she is, walking around like she's in her house! The bruised knee, while a bit disturbing, seems to be causing her no discomfort whatsoever. A mixture of surprise, anger (though whether at himself or her he's not sure), and oddly, amusement flood him. He doesn't say a word though, and Tina, ever oblivious, doesn't even notice him and instead opts to tackle Ann. Ignoring the fact that he is standing at the very back and likely obscured, Jamie fumes over his rival not being alert enough to not see him standing literally in front of her (sort of). Really, it was insulting!

As soon as Tina is done squeezing Ann, the red-head asks, "Oh my Goddess Tina, what's wrong with your leg?!" looking horrified.

"Oh that?" Tina replies, glancing wide eyed to her knee. She shakes her head and smiles. "No, it's fine! It just got a little messed up when I was being pulled around in the water. The doctor says it'll be healed in a day or two."

"What a relief! It really does look quite painful," Maria said.

"Almost looks like Joe's leg did that time he broke it when he was ten…" Kurt mutters, and then the group begins exchanging stories on all of the crazy injuries they acquired during childhood.

Just like that, Tina is back to her usual self, and Jamie notes that her pigtails are finally fixed correctly. Somehow, it gives him a weird feeling of relief. Waving her arms around like the day he first saw her, Tina captivates her friends with some tale of a softball game that lead to a broken arm.

"And so then, it's not like anyone could do anything, and I just fell, _BAM! _Really hard right on the middle of my forearm—" Chocolate orbs pierce through his mental defenses as Tina finally notices Jamie standing in the doorway, now the only one left there as the rest of the group has migrated around Tina near the window.

His heart jumps to his throat, and he's almost getting used to that dreadful knot that keeps twisting his gut tighter and tighter. Bracing himself for the worst, he scowls as menacingly as possible.

Time seems to slow as Jamie can focus on nothing but her face; her eyes, as they widen and sparkle with amber and copper flecks from the sunlight, and her pale pink lips as they form into a delicate 'oh' shape.

Expression full of pure happiness, her gaze softens into nothing short of a breathtaking smile, her gaze shining with gratitude only for him. The sheer warmth swimming in her eyes is too much, and Jamie's stony gaze shatters. For a split second, a rare look of confusion and most importantly a raw, vulnerable sensitivity flashes in his eyes that almost shakes Tina to the core. _Almost._

"Jamie!" she gasps, euphoric. "You came to visit me!" Like rushing waters, time floods back to normal speed. Tina flings herself at him, arms twisted tightly around his neck with no intention of letting go soon. Jamie's arms fling forward in a half-baked attempt to push her away, but he's too slow and searches desperately for a solution. It's possibly the most awkward situation he's ever been in with her; not only is she holding him like some sort of long-lost lover, there's a group of seven people with their eyes glued to him.

He snaps his head back down to the earth-toned fluff below his chin. He opens his mouth to spit out some nasty insult, or shove her away from him, but once again she cuts him off.

"I'm so glad you came…" she says softly, and he picks up on a faint, but still present rasp in her voice. It's from all that salty water in the ocean, he notes dimly, but he's more concerned with the strange tone she's using. It reminds him of the smile she just dazzled him with, and that look sparkling in the depth of her eyes. It confuses him. It annoys him. …It makes him blush? But it _does_, he realizes, right up to the tops of his ears, and he sees what she was getting at all along since she'd seen him walk in the door.

Of course! How could he have been so blind to her intentions? He was absolutely sure of it now.

She'd gotten him in a vulnerable state and taken advantage of it, just like he thought she would. Any pity he felt for her bruised leg or inflamed throat evaporated in an instant with a bitter feeling that he couldn't quite put a finger on.

"You on some weird medication or something? Geez, back off!" he barks, but she doesn't move. She stays right there, on the tips of her toes. Is he crazy, or does he feel her smiling again into his shoulder?

"I missed you too, Jamie," she chuckles.

He sputters, choking on acid words he was about to say. "Wh- what?! Damn crazy girl! I—I…"

"Um, we'll… Give you two some privacy, alright?" Maria suggests, blushing herself at the spectacle. She walks past Jamie through the door, glancing meaningfully at the rest of the group.

"Just when it was getting good…" Katie mutters, pouting.

"W-wait!" Jamie begs, close to desperate. "Uh, don't— I mean—"

Unfortunately his pleas fall on deaf ears as the doors click shut.

* * *

Hmm… I'd better stop here. It's late, and I don't want it to be too long. Besides, more suspense is always a good seasoning in a story, right? Don't worry, I'm not leading you on; you'll get to the good parts soon enough. :D I don't want to jinx myself, but honestly unless an emergency happens I'm staying home tomorrow. I think. I hope. ...Pray for me, I don't care what religion you are. X_X

Also! For any of you that haven't already, be sure to check out Evolution by Adamante. It's not finished yet, but I think it's a great story! Also, a well-known YouTuber that I've been a fan of for years, RayofHope, has a tumblr account for Jamie! Just google "Jamie ranch tumblr" and it should be the first thing that pops up. (I can't navigate tumblr well, so that's the only way I know to find it. :P) Seriously, she's got him spot on, much better than me! Believe me, it's more than worth checking out.


	10. The Fated Rivalry Begins Now!

Everyone who's reading, I've got some great news! For those of you who didn't know, I have a twin (yes, in real life) and she has FINALLY gotten around to reading this. She's not that partial to this couple, so I honestly didn't expect her to think much of it. But she read it—and she absolutely loved it! She's now a follower, just like you guys, and we've been swapping ideas. **Her FF name is GarnetMonsoon—check her stuff out! :D **I didn't think I'd manage this, but I've got the basic plot all mapped out, or at least the important parts. My drive to work on this has been totally restored! Not that I don't value my reviewers, of course. :P My characters will still have the most say in what happens, though, so I won't drop details in fear that they may change. That, and no one likes spoilers. So.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave it in a review or message me.

Nothing will happen if I don't sit down and work on it, so here we go!

* * *

The silence in the room, while it hasn't lasted long, is stifling. Tina finally acquiesces, unchaining her arms from his neck and lowering her feet flat on the ground. A shy look mists over her face, like she's just realized what kind of position she's in, and she makes an awkward move to smooth her shirt. Looking up to Jamie again, she pins him with a content smile. There's no malice in it, no hidden agenda, and she wants more than anything to just let Jamie know how she's feeling right here and now.

Since she'd seen him kneeling at her side the other day, things have changed—for her, at least. The look on his face was something she'll never forget. No, it was his eyes; the way they were so wide and full of panic, practically screaming, "This can't happen! This can't be real!" not just to her, but to himself.

He'd shed tears, even. _Cried._ Big, bad, grumpy, I-don't-care-about-anyone Jamie had cried when he thought she wasn't going to be okay. At first, it kind of scared her. Jamie wasn't usually such a wild card. But she thought about it a little more; thought about Jamie, and herself, and everything that had happened in that one short season. In spite of the nagging voice in her head that told her she was crazy (which oddly sounded like Jamie himself), Tina began to think of only one explanation. Obviously, Jamie liked her more than he let on, perhaps even more than Tina herself thought he did!

Soon enough, she actually began to admire him. She had just about told him as much that day they went fishing back in Spring. Yes, there were a lot of things about Jamie that she admired, things she wished she could be. Of course, Jamie had his faults. No one ever needed to tell her that. And even though Jamie had always been so distant and testy with her, she began to faithfully believe that there was a way to pierce the ice around his cold heart; to become someone close to him. Maybe one day, she thought, a day would come when they would both help the other shine. The fact that they both seemed to be tied to a destiny of freeing the Goddess only made it all the more likely to her.

So when she saw him that day, broken up all because of her, she really, _really_ had a feeling that she was right, no matter how much he grumbled and called her ditzy or childish.

"It's all for the best, I guess," Jamie murmurs, breaking her reverie. He blinks a few times, blushing still, and though he's talking to her he won't look her in the eyes.

"Actually, I… There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Without even having to ask, he knows he's got her attention. Tina is that kind of person—she'll sit and listen patiently and openly to whatever you have to say, no matter who you are. It could almost count as one of the only good things about her, Jamie thinks, except for the fact that it makes her gullible.

It would make Jamie smug to hear it, but he's right. He does have her attention, every single ounce of it, and Tina's mind is racing. Is he really going to say what she's hoping he'll say? That he was scared, that he was worried, that he _finally _wants to let go of this rivalry thing and be friends?

"Go ahead and shoot, I'm listening," she quips, hands crossed behind her back.

"Right," he sighs. "Hmph, I'll be to the point. You probably don't remember, based on the way you acted when I walked in, but I… Well, I said something I shouldn't have before the race."

He digs up the courage to meet her gaze, face burning with shame. Apologizing will be hard, but Jamie is no fool. He knows that it's wrong enough to be mean to people, but it's even worse to go and tell them you pretty much wish they would die. Jamie isn't a nice guy; he probably never will be, but for Goddess' sake he's at least a decent human being.

Her brow furrows, and she shakes her head ever so slightly. "No, actually when I blacked out I kinda forgot most of everything before the race… What is it?" Now she's definitely curious. It's not at all what she wanted out of him at the moment, but there's always time to worm that into the conversation later.

"You got amnesia?" he asks, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. Just some short term stuff, the doc says it's no big deal. But I wanna know what you said! Won't you tell me, pleeeeease?" she oozes somewhat jokingly.

'_Well, this is… ironic.' _Jamie thinks. _'Maybe I don't need to do this. I mean, she doesn't remember it, right? So it would be kind of stupid to say sorry, wouldn't it?'_ But suddenly, he pictures the Harvest Goddess' face, smiling gracefully. He knows she wouldn't approve, and he knows he doesn't truly mean it.

Just because she forgot those harsh words doesn't mean he never said them. Her amnesia doesn't change the fact that he's wronged her. It would be childish to run away just for the sake of covering his wounded pride.

"Fine. B-but I was going to tell you anyway, so don't think it's 'cause you begged me like that or anything!" Tina presses a hand to her mouth, trying to suppress giggles. "Stop laughing!" he snaps indignantly.

"Okay, okay! Go ahead, I promise I won't laugh anymore."

He takes in a deep breath. "Right before the mayor blew the whistle to start, when we were all lined up at the shore, I told you… Well, I said…" He hangs his head, face scarlet. That shame, that guilt that he'd felt when he watched Bob carry her away to the ambulance, comes rushing back.

'_Argh, this is pathetic! Be a man and say it!'_

Fists balled so hard his knuckles are white; he grimaces at the dingy tiling and draws another deep breath. "I said, 'Why don't you go home before you drown?'!" he cries, disgraced.

Tina jolts, shocked. "Jamie…"

"I know, I know, okay?!" he rushes. The breath he's holding tumbles out, and he crosses his arms, still too ashamed to look at her face. He doesn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"It- it was uncalled for. I went too far with that one. I… I'm sorry."

A pause lingers in the air as Jamie waits patiently for her reaction.

She speaks, softly, and closer to him than before. "Jamie."

His shoulders tighten.

"Jamie. Look at me, please." His heart races faster, though it's been doing that since the door closed.

Reluctantly, he raises his eyes. Part of him is amazed, but another part quietly murmurs, _'Of course…'_

Again, she is smiling that gentle, strange smile from before. It's as though her eyes are holding his in place, not giving the option to move them.

"It's okay." _'Stop it.'_

"You had no idea that would happen," she continues. _'Stop it.'_

"And really, I'm just happy that you even came to apologize. I wouldn't have expected that from you in a million years!" she laughs heartily. "Oh, am I rubbing off on you perhaps?" she teases, fiercely hoping he won't notice her insecurity.

"That's ridiculous," he scoffs. Her faith wavers, but she trudges on. Jamie is always like this; he may act distant, but you have to whittle him down a bit. Then, he'll be honest with you. She convinces herself this is the usual pattern, and doesn't miss a beat.

"Awww, c'mon Jamie! Everybody learns something from others at some point in life. Is it really so crazy that I may be a positive influence on you?" she inquires confidently. The tone of voice she's using is still that playful, taunting one, and she hopes it'll help nullify any rising anger.

He huffs in annoyance. _'Whoops!'_ Tina giggles to herself. _'But maybe I can still turn this around. Don't give up, Tina! Jamie may be—'_

"That's not what I mean," he replies, cutting her inner ramblings short. Tina turns her head slightly, piqued. "Oh?" she asks.

"I mean, it's ridiculous for you to think that I'd be above apologizing when it's due," he grinds out, starting to get offended. "Listen, I'm by no means a nice guy, but just what kind of person do you think I am?"

She stutters, caught off guard. "Err, no, I just—"

"I shouldn't have said that in the first place, I know, but at least I'm trying to make it right! And you're standing here like you're shocked. I lose my temper a lot, but aren't you the one who never takes my insults seriously? With that kind of logic, I would think you'd be a little more—I don't know—unsurprised when I tell you I didn't mean it," he says, insulted.

Breathless, she stammers, not quite sure how to answer his accusations. "Ah—gosh, Jamie! I was just kidding around! Th-that's what friends do, you know? Poke fun at each other a little bit, that's all!"

"That's another thing I wanted to talk about," he snaps, finally feeling like he's getting the upper hand back. Not being in control of a situation had always been a pet peeve of Jamie's. As he feels his tenacity return, he stands a little bit taller and his world starts to make a little more sense.

"This whole friendship you've invented between us… I'm not sure where you got these ideas, or how, but you'd best forget them."

She pales. But he can't mean this; he always says things like this! He'd even just said so moments ago! Unrelenting, she speaks her thoughts.

"I don't believe you one bit. You literally just said you're always saying things you don't mean. Why should I take this to heart?"

Drawing his lips into a thin line, he contemplates what to say next. "Hmph. Good point, but mind you, I've told you time and time again I don't desire a close relationship of any kind with you. I show it in my actions, as well. It's not something I say out of anger or in the heat of a moment. I really mean it. I don't like you, and I don't want to be your friend."

Uncomprehending and almost unwilling to accept it, she's rendered speechless. A few seconds pass, and she finds her voice again, wavering as it may be.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me! You always push everyone away, Jamie, but you can't live like that. Think about it; it's a part of life to become close to other people and build relationships with them. They're rewarding. They teach you things, and bring you happiness. What could be more important than that?" she asks, almost pleading.

"Saving the Goddess, for one!" he exploded. "There's another reason you disgust me! You came here acting like you were gonna work so hard on your farm, and you kept mentioning how you wanted to bring the Goddess back, but what have you done about it?! I've seen your farm, and it looks pathetic! Are you even putting any effort into it? It's like all you do is spend your time socializing! And you call yourself my rival," he spat.

She gasps at his outburst, but lets his words sink in. Maybe she _hadn't_ been putting enough energy into her farm. At first, she did have a drive to collect notes and build a huge farm. But as the weeks passed, she couldn't think of new ways to get notes, and money got tight. Every now and then, she would reward herself by spending money on little things that made her happy, but didn't it all add up in the end? It wasn't that she didn't care about the Goddess. She _did,_ very much, but…

"Farming is way harder than I thought it would be," she mumbles meekly, more to herself than him.

Having calmed down, he grunts softly in agreement. "It is. It's a demanding job, in a lot of ways. If you can't handle it, then maybe you shouldn't be here."

Now it's her turn to scoff. "Are you joking? No way! I may not be very far, but I'm not giving up yet. If you don't want to be friends, then, then… fine," she gulps.

"I suppose you might not a complete waste, then. Just maybe. If I were you, I'd spend less time goofing off, and more time working. You'll never pass me up, of course, but it's amusing to watch you try," he sneers.

His snide jeering is the final straw. If he wants to play hard ball, then so be it. She scowls, enraged. "Well then you'd better watch closely—because I'm going to leave you in the dust! And for your _information,_" she seethes, "From now on, I couldn't care less about your stupid rivalry idea. I'm doing this for _me, _and for the Goddess as well! She's the only person I care about not letting down."

"Fine!" Jamie hisses.

"Fine!" Tina bites back.

"_Fine!" _he yells, and slams the door as hard as he can as he leaves. Ignoring the inquisitive stares of Tina's friends, he storms off down the halls and takes the staircase, too angry to wait for the elevator and in need of some way to burn off his anger. Forget stuffing himself in that nasty truck; he'll take a bus, or better yet, walk home.

He sure as hell isn't riding home with _her_!

* * *

Ohhohohohohoho, lol, lol, lol! *trollface* The ending really took me by surprise! Well, there you have it, their first fight. I want to explain that **at this point, Tina no longer wants to establish a friendship with Jamie. Starting now, she will actively engage in a rivalry with him- despite her specifically saying she won't in a fit of anger because really, Jamie's not the only one who says stuff he doesn't mean. She's trying to make it clear that she's not aiming for his approval.**

**_However_, will this change? Only time will tell….**

**NOTICE: I will be starting my next semester starting tomorrow, so don't expect such frequent updates! I'll still be working on this as much as possible, especially in light of recent events and Garnet now being a follower, but college does require a lot of attention. Wish me luck, and thanks for reading! :D**


	11. Silence and Solitude

**Hey guys, I'm not dead! Whoohoo! :D ** Well this chapter might be kinda short. Honestly, I've been having some writer's block in addition to the truckload of work I've had at school. Let it never be said that college was the least bit easy. :/ Don't worry though, there's plenty in store! It's just a bit difficult to get the ball rolling on this next act. Listening to "Loathing" from Wicked for inspiration. :P

* * *

_Spring 3rd_

Of course, no one had bothered to check if he made it back home to his ranch. No one on that dirt road leading back to Flower Bud had bothered to ask if he was alright, or where he was going, or if he needed a ride in the pouring rain. When they held a "Welcome Home" party for that _idiot _the next day, complete with all sorts of annoying party games and favors and nausea- inducing cake, no one invited him.

He didn't care though. In the end, it was always better to go it alone in life. Yes, it was quiet and peaceful this way, just how it was before she had come there. No more irritating, shrill voice behind his back as he milked his cows first thing in the morning, no more impromptu torture sessions labeled as "matches" or "adventures," Goddess help him, and no more embarrassing instances where he had so easily lost his temper.

They would still be rivals of course, but that didn't require much face-to-face time. Just checking the shipping records each day, reassuring himself with a smirk that she would never catch up in a million years, and those festival days where he could completely annihilate her and say those words to her face.

Anything more than that would just be a waste of time. Unlike some people who had time to slack off and not worry about anything, _he_ had a Goddess to save.

With that in mind, he slipped his rucksack onto his back again and headed out into the already blazing summer heat, Calvervtutrp on his heels. _'Maybe I should think about wearing something else in the summer,'_ he groaned to himself.

* * *

Through the peaceful air of Flower Bud, the brutal _crack_ of a baseball could be heard.

"Wow, Tina," Ellen whistled. "I don't even know where that one went! You're really good at this."

"Seriously!" Joe agreed. "You've got some mad skills. We're you on a team or something?

Tina giggled, adjusting the cap of her tattered pink and white hat ever so slightly. "Yeah, actually, I was. Back in Middle School and High School, I was on the softball team."

"Same here! We never did win any championships, though," Katie sighed.

Tina smiled and nodded knowingly. "Oh we didn't either. Actually we were pretty terrible. Most of the girls on our team were more preoccupied with girly things, like fashion, keeping their nails perfect, boys, you know the drill."

"Hmmm," Nina hummed; "Speaking of boys, Tina…" she trailed off, raising her eyebrows expectantly at her friend.

Tilting her head ever so slightly to the side, Tina blinked. "What?"

Ann caught on quick, and leaned over towards her friend, grinning smugly. "I've been meaning to ask about that myself. You're a bad bestie, keeping secrets from me like that!"

"Guys, c'mon! What are you talking about?! I really don't get it!" Tina huffed, suppressing a smile herself.

"_Jamie, duh!" _they chorused.

"What about Jamie?" she asked, still not sure what was wrong with her friends.

"Spill the beans, girl!" Katie oozed. "What was up with you two the other day?"

Ann crossed her arms. "Exactly! Did you guys break up or something?"

Tina could have sworn her jaw hit the dirt. "You've got to be kidding me! We didn't _break up_ or anything—"

"You mean you're still dating him?!" Nina shrieked.

Ellen shook her head and sighed. "I don't like to say things like this usually Tina, but he _is_ kind of a jerk."

Tina was waving her arms by now, trying to get a word in edgewise. So this is what was wrong with her pals; the hot summer sun had obviously fried their brains.

"You've got it all wrong. What I mean is, we didn't "break up" because we weren't even dating in the first place!" she said exasperatedly.

"Really? But it seemed like you were always hanging around him. Even some of the guys thought so, right Joe?" Ann supplied, nudging the strangely silent fisherman.

Joe grimaced, twisting his foot in the dirt. "Uhhh, not really so great at this "girl talk" thing. You know, cuz I'm a _guy_ and all?"

"Oh you're such a baby," she pouted.

"But it's awkward! What am I supposed to say, huh?"

"Whatever!" the inventor huffed. "Point is, pretty much _everybody_ thought you guys were going out."

"Well we're not!" Tina frowned. "I've tried making friends with him but he just wouldn't have it. Anyways, I've just lost my patience with him. He's made it clear he doesn't want me to be his friend, so I gave up."

"Aww," Katie moaned. "Well, his loss anyways! Glad to know you're not dating the creep."

Joe laughed heartily. "Now _that _I can get on board with! The other day, when Tina was back in the city, I had noticed someone was in her house—"

"What?! Oh my Goddess, why didn't you _tell_ me?!"

"I'm getting to that! Anyways, Ray and I checked it out, and apparently he was checking on your dog or something. Long story short, all we did was spook him a little, and he flipped his lid! Chased me around the village and I was scared he was about to pummel me to death! Maria saw the whole thing, she'll tell ya."

"I guess it was nice of him to make sure Mocha was okay, though," Ellen reasoned.

Tina scoffed. "No, that's just the way he is. He likes animals way more than people, and I'm sure he was thinking it'd be wrong to make the innocent animal suffer." It was true, in a way. She just sort of left out the tiny little part about him saying that drowning bit and possibly wanting to ease his conscience about it. Opening that can of worms at this point would probably only fuel the gossip fires, not to mention send Jamie into a fit of rage.

The topic of Jamie soon trickled down into nothing as the small group revived their semi-baseball game, which continued on until late afternoon. As the sun began to set over Flower Bud, the group split, some going home to make dinner, and others getting some odd jobs done while there was still precious daylight left.

Tina walked the dusty path from near the beach back to her home, kicking a rock or two every now and then. Try as she might, just thinking about the whole thing with Jamie got her blood boiling, and she muttered to herself as she walked.

"Oooh, I can't believe him, that snide, good for nothing jerk!" Really, why did he have to be so mean? Would it kill him to make a friend or two? She bit her lip.

'_And I can't believe they actually thought I was dating him, of all things! As if I would ever date someone anything like him! I prefer nice guys, thank you! Mature guys, who are sweet, and protective. A guy who will support me, and dote on me. But Jamie? Ugh, never! He's anything __**but **__my ideal prince!'_

The way he'd stormed off last time she saw him certainly didn't help her mood. Shutting the door like that in her face and blowing up like that over nothing; he really _was _a creep! She resumed her abuse of the defenseless rocks, this time with more force than before, trying to blow off steam.

"One of these days I swear I'm gonna—Eeeek!" she screeched, suddenly jabbing her foot on a particularly stubborn rock. Hopping up and down and holding the injured appendage, she hissed even more furiously. "Aaahhh, all of this is your fault!" she cried furiously.

"What's all of who's fault?" inquired a smooth, amused voice.

Tina twisted around, still holding her foot. "D-doctor!" He was walking out from the door of his clinic, coat being shrugged onto his shoulders. As he approached her, he waved, and Tina ceased her jumping.

Alex smiled warmly as he stepped onto the road. "It's been a few days, Tina. And just when you get out of the hospital, here you are hurting yourself again!" he laughed.

"Ahahaha, n-no, I was just, uhh- …Nevermind," she stammered lamely as she lowered her foot, embarrassed that someone saw her talking to herself. _'He must think I'm nuts,' _she groaned miserably.

"Hm, I see… Well as a doctor, I can't just walk away from someone in pain," he replied, kneeling down.

"Oh, no! Really, you don't have to—" she sputtered, feeling like an idiot by now.

He lifted his head in the glow of the golden sunset, the charming smile still gracing his features.

"I insist. I can't just leave a young lady such as yourself alone like this, now can I? It's not just a job; I would feel terrible if I found out my friend had gotten hurt when I could have prevented it." His warm hand pressed against her ankle with a caring touch as he sat down to inspect it.

Tina followed suit, sitting on the ground meekly and blushing to her ears. _'Someone who would take care of me…'_

She lifted her head an inch to peek at the Doctor. Though focused on her foot, he lifted his head for a second to meet her gaze, flashing her yet another grin.

_'My… ideal prince…'_

* * *

_Oh my gosh that was **so cliched** I almost died writing it._ xD Well Tina is kind of immature, so I guess this mindset suits her. This was originally going to be called "The Ghetto Baseball Chapter" literally, but then I realized Jamie would never put up with playing a team sport, so the idea got scrapped. :/


	12. One Step Closer

I keep getting distracted. Well that's Spring Break for ya. In other news, this story has finally gotten 20 reviews! I didn't even believe I would get that many, and I'm not even done! Thanks to all of my treasured readers who made this happen. You always brighten the darkest of my days! In other news, I think this'll be a long one, so hopefully it'll make up for how short last week's was. Listened to "Falling" by Emmy Rossum while writing, check it out if you can. Good song.

* * *

_Summer 6__th_

The mine in Moonlight Cave was so dark and damp; most people who didn't go there assumed it would be a cool place during the summer to escape the merciless heat in. They were wrong. Oh so very wrong, Jamie thought, as he tugged his purple bandanna from his neck and wiped his sweating brow with it. Though it was stuffy, and though Jamie was regretting now more than ever that he wore pretty much the same outfit day in and out, Flower Bud's resident tsundere knew he had to keep on toiling. Just thinking of that menacing Pigtails (no longer Tina, as recent events proved she deserved to be demoted back to a non-human level—what he was thinking in the first place eluded him) getting even the slightest bit of leverage on him made his very soul hiss in rage. Ignoring his weariness, he pressed forward, hammer swinging as a testament of his resolve.

However as time wore on, Jamie began to wonder when it would be appropriate to stop. He was human, after all (though he'd never admit it aloud and could even barely comprehend it in his own heart). As if in response, his usually perfectly stable legs wobbled beneath him. There was no denying it; Jamie's body needed a break.

'_Please, just hold out a bit more,'_ he silently pleaded as he stumbled. _'I'm almost done here. I'll sleep early tonight, just—just…'_ too tired to even finish the thought, he put all of his energy into smashing rocks and almost unnaturally large crystals. His vision blurred, but Jamie blinked hard and slapped his face with dusty hands, running on sheer will.

Every extra gem and stone collected was another step ahead of _her_. Another step closer to rescuing the Goddess. In recent times, he'd let himself slip without realizing it. But no more, he vowed. So help him, he would rescue Flower Bud's deity. Balancing a rival on the side wasn't necessary, but he could do it. He _would_ do it, just to see her drop out and admit defeat. Why did the Goddess send for her? Why could she see the Harvest Sprites? He gritted his teeth. _'What makes **her** even remotely similar to **me**?!'_

And then, suddenly, he'd had an epiphany. The girl had so often said things about working together, and even though he countered it with the idea of a rivalry instead, well, he'd never thought it wasn't _his _idea first. The other day, he'd finally realized it. The Harvest Goddess didn't send her because Jamie wasn't good enough—not **yet**, at least. This was Tina's true purpose: not to be Jamie's self- appointed rival, but to be a lesson for him sent by the Goddess. An obstacle that he had to pass to finally prove his worth and his strength. It all made so much sense now! The way she had scolded him in the past for calling himself things like "perfect" and flawless" were because he was wrong, yes, but he had taken it the wrong way. It was wrong of him to say that because he had never faced any outstanding trials, not because it was "rude" or whatever nonsense the Sprites would say about it.

Pigtails was obviously a trial, and definitely one only a Goddess would be able to storm up.

Thoughts racing like never before, Jamie was spurred on to keep going. He couldn't have been in here _that _long. It was just the heat playing tricks on him. Bending over a broken boulder, he picked up the gleaming hunk of silver ore and jumped back up quickly.

A little too quickly, it seemed, and he felt the whole world around him spin at a sickening pace too volatile to keep up with and melt away into an almost soothing darkness.

His last thoughts before blacking out were of buying new clothes to wear in summer.

A blinding ray of sunlight streamed in between the cracks of the white blinds above the bed, and right over Jamie's eyes, conveniently enough. Not remembering what had happened to him last, and hoping to find answers (and maybe beat the snot out of whoever was responsible for what was apparently a black out), Jamie sat up in the strange bed he was lying in.

Or tried to, at least. Immediately after being jostled out of their comfortable rest, Jamie's muscles screamed in protest and agony. He was flat on his back against the mattress again before he could blink. Wrenching his eyes open from being squeezed shut in pain, Jamie glanced around the room, deciding he could at least assess the situation.

"Oh. I'm... home." Well that was almost kind of boring. That aside, what _was_ he doing here, he wondered (as weird as it sounded). From the corner of his eye, he noticed a crumpled piece of paper on the nightstand next to his bed, along with a glass of water and some... Were those _weeds_? With a shaking arm, he summoned the strength to grab at the letter, crushing it further in eager fingers that just barely reached. He smoothed it out, and tried to hold it up above himself to read the oddly tiny handwriting. After a minute or two, and his arms stabilized, he began to work out the letters.

_"Dear Jamie,_

_Please don't be mad, but we were the ones who brought you back to your house. I don't know if you can remember, but you fainted in the mine, yeah! We were so worried when you fell over, and Carlos thought you were dead, yeah! But then Billy poked you with a stick and you moaned, so we guessed you were okay. Then we got some help from some of our friends-_

Here, Jamie blanched, almost too afraid to wonder what sort of "friends" were carting around his unconscious body. Filthy forest animals, no doubt.

_- to bring you back to your house, and here you are, yeah! We also left you some magic grasses from the forest to help you get your strength back. They're really healthy, so eat 'em up, yeah! Get well soon!"_

_ -Billy_

So in other words, after falling and possibly hitting his head, instead of the Sprites leaving him somewhere where the Doctor could find him, they decided to parade him around town back to his house, likely on the back of a bear for the whole town to see. Well this was just **wonderful. **What was next, he would be rewarded with a new Musical Note for passing out like some kind of fool?

_"You got: The Limitation Note!"_

—Piped the mysterious, Harvest Sprite- like voice with a flash of rainbow light that usually manifested when Notes were found. As the colorful glassy sphere (a soft pink, just to tick him off, it seemed) floated down into his hands that were already palm-up in part reflex, part awe, Jamie almost groaned out loud.

* * *

Don't worry, I'm not done just yet. Splitting this part into two chapters, or else it'll be unnecessarily long. Ugh, why do I never get the inspiration to write until 10 p.m.? Anyone? Anyone? ...Bueller? Next chapter: get ready for some spicy rumors (_gasp!_) and direct interaction between Jamie and Tina! Bonus points to anyone who noticed the half- reference to Legend of Zelda. :) Jamie kinda chanelled Asch fon Fabre from Tales of the Abyss in this chapter, couldn't help it. They _are_ a bit similar...


End file.
